Falling Leaves
by jazzy2may
Summary: Iruka & Kakashi find themselves involved in a mission. Eventual Yaoi IruKashi. Slight NaruSasu, mentions of MizukIruka abuse. Dark themes. Slash. Finito!
1. Chapter 1

I love stories that deal with a strong Iruka Sensei and an equally strong Kakashi in an equal relationship! I love mission stories and team stories. I love hurt comfort stories. And this story is going to have a lot of stuff in it.

Humor, Drama, Angst, Hurt, Comfort, Non-Con, Memory Flashbacks of old Abuses, some bad language.  
I will not be graphic because this is I plan to eventually upload a more detailed story on Adult FanFic or on my website or my LJ. ;D

No Flames! I have put in warning on story Summary and I will put warning here as well.

Story is a WORK-IN-PROGRESS  
is** _SLASH!_  
**_**M/M coupling!  
YAOI!  
PERVERSION ALERT!**  
_also: Have not beta'd, so mistakes may lay ahead in the story as well.

**Iruka/Kakashi ("Come Come Paradise" meets "I'm Very Conservative") quoted from author: MiseryLovesFanfics  
I love this Author and I love how she put this couple so quaintly and perfectly described!**

**  
CHAPTER ONE**

"So what if I baby him a little, even spoil him a little. So What! Don't you come here accusing me of favoritism Bastard!" Roared Iruka sensei. The class was silent, the streets outside were silent. Everyone stared at Iruka and Kakashi. "You think I don't know what you do to those children. You think you don't play favorites either!" he roared, accused.

"You treat him like a baby." hissed Kakashi. "he goes whining to you all of the time. How is he to grow up and become a great ninja if he's always running crying to you. His little mommy."

Iruka's jaw dropped, and his outrage increased. He was furious.

"How dare you!" he hissed. His voice slowly increased in volume and profanity. "If you weren't such an asshole all the time I wouldn't have to salve Naruto's hurting heart. You mistreat him, you scumbag! He's a child! I wont let you mistreat him. I'm going to the Hokage and I'm going to get your ass canned!" roard Iruka.

Naruto gaped. Then he beamed with such pride and adoration. His Iruka Sensei was fantastic and amazing and well, damn Iruka was scary when he was pissed. Kakashi deserved it to. He plays favorites, the Jerk!

Surprisingly the yelling went up another notch and then went shockingly to the physical but most shocking of all was that in Iruka's rage he showed off more of his skills than he had meant to ever show his children or the villagers. In truth, Iruka's blood limit made him just as powerful if not more so than Kakashi. But unlike Kakashi he couldn't stand to hurt people or to go on assignments to assassinate others even if he knew it was for a good reason. He wasn't a cold blooded killer. He just didn't have that ability. Not that he looked down on the jounin and the others with that ability, after all, they did protect the village and the children of the village by being able to do what was asked of them.

By taking lives they kept the village safe. By accepting paying assignments they kept the village thriving. Iruka respected and admired these jounin and chunin greatly. But he could not conceive of cold blooded murder. He couldn't kill. It hurt too much to have blood staining his hands. Despite this he was good at ninjutsu and his temper was fierce it allowed him a maximum destruction ability that was about to be unleashed on one sorry excuse for a shinobi.

"Pervert Punisher!" he hissed as he formed the signs needed to send his jutsu to work on his intended victim.

Shadow Jutsu, Mist Jutsu, Water Jutsu, combination jutsu.

Kakashi should have known better than to piss Iruka off. But really there was just something so damned sexy about an angry Iruka. Better take off the cover and use Sharingan otherwise I'm toast.

Shit! Fire Jutsu combined in water made steam jutsu, extremely painful.

Kakashi felt stone and water and air coming at him from all sides. Iruka was letting kunai and stars fly like a hornets nest of pissed off insects, birds came from the sky next, summons, and Kakashi could only retreat as the ground suddenly swallowed him whole.

By the time true panic set in and Kakashi realized he was in real trouble, Iruka himself cut off the jutsus.

"Sorry excuse for a bloody shinobi! Stop fooling around and start fighting me like a real man, asshole!" growled Iruka, still hopping mad.

Iruka never sounded more like a pissed of Kunoichi, Shinobi wife, than right at that minute. Kakashi's heart never pounded so hard in his chest.

"Iruka Umino, I think I'm in love with you." he managed to gasp out before blood gushed from him.

"Kakashi Hatake, what the hell?!" roared Iruka. "Stop fooling around and get up here and come try to kick my ass. You aren't fooling anyone with your stupid declaration and feinting spell. Do you here me?"

"KAKASHI." He roared, stomping up to the buried shinobi's unconscious form and grabbing him up by his shirt in a fist. He shook the jounin as a momma dog would shake a disrespectful pup by its loose skin at its ruff. Kakashi hung relaxed from the chunin's fists bunched up in his shirt and swayed with the chunin's movements. Kakashi's head lolled on his neck and his eyes were rolled up in his head. He wasn't faking.

The village gaped.

Iruka blinked, stunned as well.

Kakashi had been defeated by a chunin, by Iruka sensei, Iruka Umino, a school teacher, a paper pushing desk ninja, a weak ninja just defeated Hatake Sharingan Kakashi.

Naruto crowed. "You showed him!"

Naruto cheered, "Iruka-Sensei, you were awesome!"

Iruka meanwhile seemed to be having a slight break down. He was stuttering and his cheeks were red with embarrassment.

Sasuke Uchiha was as stunned as everyone else. He made a note. "I am so ashamed to have Kakashi for my sensei, and two, Never be an idiot like Kakashi and get Iruka Sensei pissed at me.

"Well I, Well, But, b-but, I, I, well I d-din't m-mean, well you see it was, well it, I." Iruka blushed and stuttered painfully for over twenty minutes even as Naruto was holding his wrist and guiding him to the Ichiraku Ramen stand.

"You were great Sensei. You showed that perv real good." smiled Naruto, proudly. "And you showed the village too. No one's going to ever mess with you Iruka-Sensei."

Iruka sighed then gave up and smiled lovingly back at his foster son.. "Well, I suppose not, I guess." he chuckled weakly and hid his face behind a ramen menu. Still in turmoil and in embarrassment for his behavior. He was ashamed of his emotional outburst even if Kakashi had deserved it. The man was infuriating! I really need to work on my temper, I really do.

TBC  
do not know when next chapter will be updated but soon, hopefully. :D  
Also have no clue to the length of the story, right now its at three chapters and counting. :)  
Story is a work-in-progress.


	2. Chapter 2

A slightly revised version of chapter two and now hopefully things have been made a little clearer, I hope. My apologies for any confusion. jazzy

CHAPTER TWO

Tsunade was delighted by this turn of events. She believed they would be perfect for a mission she had been mulling over for the last several weeks. She would have asked Iruka on the mission regardless of his super powers in the organization of the missions' room or his skills that so well worked with Shizune in helping her to run the Hidden Leaf Village. 

This mission was a delicate one. It would need Iruka's abilities as a teacher and loving father figure. It also needed Kakashi's strength, power, and special abilities. It would need the two men combined. The mission would not be an easy one, perhaps in the rating of A or S ranked. She knew Iruka did not take missions. He did not like to kill. That was okay. That was why Kakashi would be there.

Iruka slept poorly still mortified by Kakashi and his own misbehavior earlier in the day. He had little excuse for such immature behaviors. He was a teacher and a respected administrator he couldn't afford to give in to tantrums like that no matter how much it had felt good to flatten Kakashi into the ground, still, what kind of example was that to set for the young ones of the village? What kind of role model did that make him?

He sighed, turned and tossed. The night was grueling.

Kakashi was thickly entrenched in his mind. What was it about the man that made it so impossible for him to stop thinking about?

Naruto was a sweet kid. Iruka was tired of people mistreating Naruto and giving him the short end of the stick. Naruto was determined and strong and a genius in his own right and yet no one seemed to see that in him. Yes, Naruto could be slow sometimes maybe even some would call on the less bright side of the spectrum, okay lets not pretty it up, Naruto can be a total idiot sometimes, but he makes his own way in life and comes to brilliant but very different ways of getting the handle on a jutsu. He can put his own twist on a jutsu and that in itself made Naruto a genius level ninja.

Yet no one seemed to appreciate this or understand it. Even it seemed Kakashi turned a blind eye to Naruto's good points.

It was so unfair.

It was an injustice.

Iruka's heart burned with the pain of his realization. Naruto was just one child but Naruto was Iruka's child, a child of his heart. He had raised Naruto when nannies turned their backs on the demon container. Adults didn't look past the demon trapped inside of Naruto. Naruto was Naruto and he had been a lonely pained child.

Was it so terrible that Iruka wanted to make it up to Naruto, make all the pain in his life be healed with love and kindness and some well deserved spoiling?

Naruto worked harder than any other genin next to Lee. Naruto never gave up. He worked hard so hard to get here to this level and Kakashi dared to treat him as less than the rest of his team?

_It was infuriating! _

Plus the man was a shameful excuse for a shinobi. He reads pervert books and in front of children and out in public. Even in the mission room he would read that nasty book and turn in his missions reports late. He's always late; he can never be on time. He was a lazy bum who mistreated Naruto and Kakashi had looked down his nose at Iruka and Kakashi was just plain rude and Iruka shouldn't feel remorse for slamming him the way he had.

The high level jounin had deserved every moment of punishment, for every slight and every moment of aggravation he'd given to Iruka and to Kakashi's team 7. Someone had to put him in his place.

Kakashi's voice kept playing in his ear.

_"Iruka Umino, I think I'm in love with you."_

_"Iruka Umino, I think I'm in love with you." _

Iruka growled and rolled out of bed. That sentence was just plain disturbing. Kakashi's lazy voice kept whispering in his head not letting him get any sleep.

_"Iruka Umino, I think I'm in love with you." _

_"Iruka Umino, I think I'm in love with you." _

Why wouldn't it leave him alone? Iruka slapped his face a couple of times and shook his head trying to dispel the nerve racking words from his brain and from his hearing sensory memory.

"That Pervert." He hissed. "How could he say such a thing? Why would he say such a thing?"

Iruka looked in the mirror at his ghostly aspect and shivered. What was it about him that attracted the psychos? Mizuki had loved him once to. Iruka had not been able to defend himself against Mizuki. He didn't want another Mizuki.

"I'm not going to let him trick me like Mizuki did." He hissed. His back twinged along with several old wounds, wounds he'd received over the years being involved with Mizuki.

Mizuki had always been sorry afterwards, remorseful, and so loving, always he said to Iruka "I love you." But that love never stopped him from hurting Iruka. It never stopped Mizuki from breaking his every promise to Iruka.

"Stop!"

"Stop thinking about this!"

"Stop it!"

"You don't need to remember Mizuki. He's in prison that's where he belongs. You don't need anybody. You have Naruto and your students. You don't need Kakashi or people like Mizuki in your life." He hissed, talking to his reflection trying to make his resolve strong.

He pulled off his night shirt and traced every scar on his skin, making himself remember every wound, every tear he'd shed, every whimper that had left his throat, begging Mizuki to stop.

"Kakashi and Mizuki are of the same cloth. You don't need that kind of pain in your life." He told himself. "You don't need that kind of pain ever."

"Not ever."

He went to bed but did not sleep. He was tormented with memories and more memories of pain and torment. He tried to think on something else. Naruto's smile. Naruto's rambunctious behaviors, Naruto's simple pure love for anything ramen, and his strong heart and love for a village that hated him. His child's loving heart that also loved Iruka simply and devotedly.

Iruka loved Naruto like a son.

He worried about the boy. He worried that maybe some day the 9-tailed kitsune sealed inside of him would break out of its prison and destroy the boy Naruto was. Iruka gazed out of his window long into the night watching as the slow rays of morning dawn light moved through the window and into his room. He got out of bed then took his time getting breakfast ready for himself and for Naruto. He figured he'd cross the hall way to visit Naruto and make the morning a pleasant one to banish the unpleasantness of last night.

Naruto was overjoyed to have Iruka visit him even if it was pretty early in the morning but than again Kakashi had asked his team to meet him early at the bridge but Naruto knew like the rest of the team did that Kakashi wouldn't be on time even if his pants caught fire. The man was a slacker, a habitual slacker.

"Nissan!" crowed Naruto happily as Iruka set out the breakfast on his rarely used table. "Breakfast, yay! Pancakes, waffles, sweet fruits in cream! Yes!" A moment later and Naruto wasn't as enthused. He became worried. "Uh, Nissan, what's going on? You made a lot of breakfast." He said his joy momentarily overshadowed by sudden unease.

Was there something wrong with his Iruka? Or had Naruto forgot something important? Or maybe something bad was going to happen to Naruto and this was his last meal on earth? Or….

Iruka smiled thinly at Naruto's paranoia. "Don't worry so much Naruto. I woke early and I thought I would make breakfast and share it with you. Its nothing bad or some celebration you forgot about. Though we could make it a very late, several months overdue celebratory breakfast for your graduation to genin if you like?" He chuckled warmly. "But truly, I just wanted to spend some time with you that's all."

Naruto smiled happily and thanked Iruka and the gods all simultaneously. "hmm! YUMMY!" he roared happily and chowed down like the ill mannered starving child that he was. Iruka laughed but quickly dug in to his own breakfast in a similar fashion.

Iruka escorted Naruto to the bridge and left him there after he was summoned to the Hokage Tower.

At first both jounin and chunin protested the assignment but in the end they knew their duty to Konoha and to the Hokage. They had no choice but to accept the assignment.

Tsunade smirked. "Try your best, both of you, to make this family work. You need to fool everyone and keep it up for as long as the assignment allows. This is a delicate assignment do you understand? You are now and for the assignment's duration husband and wife."

"I'm sorry Iruka you unfortunately lose out on the male part of this marriage. You have delicate bone structure and you're shorter than Kakashi. You also don't exactly give off "mess with me and you die" vibes."

Iruka blushed, underestimated yet again, but he accepted it. That's what he did in life acceptance. He was calm, serene even, coming to terms with how little people saw the real him. But that was okay. It wasn't bad thing being underestimated. It could be annoying but it wasn't so terrible he couldn't make a couple of cups of lemonade out of it.

"I understand Hokage sama." He said eyes downcast.

"Shizune will help you with your Kimono and female ensemble. As for you, Kakashi, find some non ninja clothes and put a patch over your eye. You are not a ninja but a Yakuza looking for work in a new gang. You're scruffy enough as you are. I don't think you will have any difficulty getting into the gang and infiltrating it to the top boss. Once you make contact and once you have the proof, termination will follow."

"Yes, Tsunade Hokage Sama, I understand."

Iruka bowed his head. "Yes, Hokage Sama, girl form Iruka coming up."

"Good, and good luck."

Shizune smiled at her work of art. Iruka was hardly recognizable. He had the demeanor and walk down pat in a mere couple of hours.

It was awkward seeing Kakashi again after having beat his ass just the other day. Guilt pained Iruka but he wasn't going to apologize. He still felt justified in his actions. Kakashi had deserved every moment of retribution. The man had made aspersions on his honor as a teacher and father. Plus the man had done it in public and in front of his students. If one has an issue with one's flaws one did not come out and make those accusations in front of a public audience one would instead retire to a private office and discuss the flaws and try to work out some form of understanding. But no. Kakashi had to call him out in public. Kakashi had belittled him for the last time. Kakashi had deserved what he got for his insensitivity. No one could convince Iruka otherwise.

Kakashi was scruffy, dressed in a workman's clothes, stubble on his chin, cheeky grin in place, pervert book in his hands. Eyes riveted to the coifed and kimonoed feminine jutsued Iruka. It was strange to see breasts on Iruka sensei. And because those breasts were on his Iruka sensei he couldn't help but have extremely perverted thoughts on the matter. He crossed his legs and squirmed. He liked Iruka as a man but as a woman he was fetching but not half as fetching as when he was a man. Kakashi liked Iruka as a man. He didn't mind Iruka as a woman. But he would have preferred him to stay the man Kakashi knew him to be and looked.

Both men were reluctant to broach the topic that weighed heavy on their minds. How were they going to pull this off and how were they going to be convincing as a couple when they had just fought not 24 hours before and Kakashi having been thoroughly thrashed and still suffering from the affects of such a thrashing?

"We can't afford to be enemies Iruka-san." Said Kakashi quietly. "The mission needs us to be devoted and loving to one another. Is there nothing about me that you can forgive? Is there not one little thing you can like about me?"

Iruka was hesitant in replying. He took a long few moments to think on how to answer such an earnest and unforeseen question.

"All I wanted was a little respect Kakashi-san. All I see every day is how everyone mistreats Naruto. I know that Sakura detests him. I know that Sasuke is apathetic and on a dark path. I want Naruto to be recognized for having some good qualities. No one will do that. I watch how you treat your mission reports and how you treat your little "soldiers" and honestly, Kakashi I don't know if there is much about you that I can stand but truthfully I do not know you and I do not know if I ever want to know you. But we have a dilemma here. We have a mission that the Hokage has entrusted to us. We have no choice in the matter so let's play the "let's get to know each other game" all right?"

"So you're giving me a chance than, right?" asked Kakashi trying to understand.

"Yeah, I suppose you could say that. All right, lets' see... I like my job as a teacher. I enjoy molding young minds. My favorite colors are…" he paused. "Several shades of blue and green. And you, Kakashi-san, do you like your job?"

Kakashi shrugged. "You could say I have several jobs. I am jounin, teacher, pervert…"

Iruka's temper was climbing. "Take this seriously or don't participate at all, and by all means lets jeopardize the mission and get us killed and lets tell the Hokage that Kakashi-san killed us because he couldn't be serious!" by the end of his words he was yelling at the top of his lungs. The vein in his forehead throbbed painfully as his blood pressure climbed.

"Now calm down Iruka-san," said Kakashi gently, catching Iruka as he swayed on his feet. The chunin really didn't look too well at the moment. "That's not a good color for you. Though that Kimono of yours is very splendid, can I say that chocolate silk look does wonders for your eyes? Here let's get you seated on this nice log." Insisted Kakashi, patting his shoulder and holding Iruka's hand. "The breeze is nice, isn't it? The grass smells sweet today, neh?"

Iruka reluctantly let Kakashi help him to the log and to sit down allowing the fields and tress and the breeze to help calm him.

A few moments later Iruka apologized. "I'm sorry, I have a terrible temper Kakashi-san, and I failed to get any sleep last night. My sincerest apologies on yelling at you."

"It's no bother Iruka-san. Let me assure I do take your safety and the safety of my little team very seriously. I have a terrible sense of timing in my humor. I tease I do not mean to offend you by it. I'm sorry if it seems I've disrespected you or stepped on your toes." Apologized Kakashi in return. "I am hard on Naruto but it's not for lack of liking him. Naruto is an amazing achievement Iruka-san and no one should be prouder of his development than you should be. He's remarkable, he's loving, he's loud, and he burns with so much determination and strength. I know that most of that is because of you, Iruka-san. He gets that passion from you. I have nothing but the sincerest and deepest respects for you Iruka. Though I do not always agree with your method and do believe you baby Naruto a little, still you haven't done a bad job and he only gets stronger every day Iruka. I don't know whether to be glad of that or to be afraid of it." Kakashi explained.

"Naruto is Naruto." Insisted Iruka stubbornly. "No kitsune demon is involved in who he is. He's a good boy. You should not fear him. All he wants is your attentions and your respect and for you to teach him."

"I'm not who he needs Iruka. He needs someone more powerful than me and who knows about seals and mystic stuff, like the great toad sennin, Jiraiya-sama." How had they gotten to this point, unburdening his soul and his insecurities to Iruka? At least they were talking; at least they were able to look each other in the eyes again. The hard feelings between them seemed to be gone for the moment. This was good. It felt good to be with Iruka.

"It doesn't matter if you're who he needs or not Kakashi. Naruto has found someone other than me to admire and that person is you. I think I'm a little jealous about that. For a long time Naruto only looked up to me and wanted to be like me. I want him to surpass me. I want him to survive and to see his dreams fulfilled."

"As do I." assured Kakashi.

"And I can now see that as well." Smiled Iruka.

They had made peace of sorts for the time being. Kakashi and Iruka practiced and hashed out their stories to perfection in preparation for the mission and for what they were going to say to their genin team. The kids would be psyched about the mission but they may not like how the assignment was to be portrayed and all their roles in it.

Surprisingly things had gone fairly okay. At least Kakashi and Iruka were at a truce. The kids were as predicted happy about the high ranking assignment but they weren't very sure about the whole family thing. But they had time to get use to it on the journey to their destination. Two months traveling to be exact enough time to perfect the family feel to their little group.

On their journey through water country, a few weeks into their journey, Iruka seemed to fall under a strange melancholy. Kakashi watched him with a concerned eye. The chunin had been showing signs of unusual stress as well.

He knew Iruka was not usually assigned to missions. Travel had never agreed with Iruka well or so rumor had it, but then again, Mizuki had often been the one to tell the tail. Of course when Mizuki and Iruka had been together there had also been a lot of sick days and unexplained bruises that Iruka had often laughed off and made light of. Of course having been on the other end of Iruka's temper he still wondered how Iruka had let it get so far out of control.

Iruka's mental state wasn't healthy. Of course though what ninja's mentality was healthy? Iruka was stable at home but Kakashi wondered would it last. He couldn't ignore that Iruka had nightmares. He couldn't ignore how Iruka would look at the kids some times. It reminded him of some weird post-partum-depression thing that some mothers went through after having kids. Yet Iruka shouldn't be suffering such symptoms.

Iruka loved Naruto as a father no one could ignore that fact. Iruka had suffered for that child and done everything in his considerable power to keep Naruto by his side and safe from the misfortunes from previous earlier years. Naruto relied on Iruka, trusted Iruka. And something was now affecting Iruka and endangering that relationship or quite possibly someone was about to use that relationship to everyone's misfortune.

Kakashi kept trying to dispel the jutsu he knew was affecting Iruka but he couldn't sense what it was or where it was coming from. The jutsu was tenacious and would not be dispelled no matter how many times Kakashi tried.

He would stand over Iruka in the night and watch the little Chunin struggle in his sleep and Kakashi would feel the intense feeling of helplessness. Something was wrong with Iruka. Kakashi's senses told him so. Pakkun told him so as well. Todachi was a giant dog and was traveling with their group as well as a sort of nurse-maid slash guard dog slash family pet.

Todachi was perhaps the only one of his nin-dogs that was mild enough in temperament to allow the kids, especially Naruto to hang on him and ride him like a small pony. Todachi seemed to love the pups and even seemed to very much approve of and worry about Iruka like his master did.

Kakashi's brooding was derailed as Iruka gasped at the sight that unfolded before his eyes. Kakashi watched him with fascination. It was so rare to find a shinobi who felt so much and showed it.

The water country was so beautiful. Iruka felt his heart ache a little. He loved the village hidden in the leaves but he was originally from the water country. His name itself was derivative and meant "Dolphin of the sea". He felt his eyes burn with sudden intense emotion.

The ocean spread out for miles and miles. The city spread likewise along the banks, wharves and piers with boats of all kinds, sails and steam. The ocean glittered so beautifully.

"Okasan?" asked Naruto in distress, noticing Iruka's tears. He hadn't seen Iruka cry in over two years not since they left Mizuki, not since Mizuki tried to kill them last year.

"I'm all right, Na-Kagetera. Mizuki used to promise he'd take me back here some day. This is my home, originally, before my family moved to Konoha." Explained Iruka. "Every year I would make plans to come here and then I never could bring myself to go and then Mizuki, my first husband, would make me promises, this anniversary or that anniversary, he'd say and then he'd end of working and we'd put it off till the next one. I finally simply stopped thinking I'd ever visit here."

Iruka paused to let the tears flow and wash his pain away. "I didn't think I missed it as much as I obviously do. Isn't it beautiful Naru - I mean Kagetera?" he asked suddenly excited and happy. He then pointed out the piers below to Naruto. "Look at all those boats and fisherman and fisherwomen. Smell that salt air. Smell the fish in the harbor, the corral and sea plants." He laughed, suddenly and looked years younger. "Look at those crazy seagulls." He gasped, pointing out a flock of gulls flying and playing in the air and a few fighting on the ground over scraps below them.

The tears of joy leaked and then stopped as he was suffused with memories and joy. He loved the water country it would always be first in his heart.

Naruto grinned happily at his foster father. Kakashi looked pained for a moment for Iruka's sake before he was caught in the sudden joy in the chunin's face, a joy that transformed Iruka suddenly into a much younger man.

"We have enough time, Iruka. If you would like, we can spend the week here."

"But our assignment?" protested Iruka looking torn between duty and something in his soul needing to be here, to commune with this place.

Kakashi grinned. "We're supposed to be a loving couple. We can still write it off as business expense and spend our "Anniversary" here, what's one week in a long term assignment?" asked Kakashi conniving and convincing.

Iruka looked troubled even a little dubious. But Kakashi was good at manipulation like Mizuki and Iruka really wanted to be swayed. He'd wanted to come here for so long.

"Three days." He temporized. He couldn't conscience a full week, but surely three days could be forgiven?

The kids' reactions ranged from uncertain to disapproving to overjoyed. Kakashi's visible eye closed in a warm crescent of joy and approval. Iruka blushed.

The three days passed pretty quickly. They ate at several boardwalk cafes, took strolls down by the beach at day break and sun down. They eventually took a full day's tour on a sail boat where Iruka dressed as Kakashi's wife in a kimono and with her hair loose and hanging down far down her back.

Iruka stood over the bow and greeted his brethren of the ocean. Iruka laughed carefree and beautiful transformed into his actual youth, though the female version of his youth. Dolphins danced on the waves and seemed to wave their flippers at him or they would jump out of the water and do flips.

Sakura for once was actually being awed by someone other than Sasuke. Iruka was a different person here. He looked amazingly handsome. His features had always been kind but plain but now they seemed to glow with some strange inner beauty that was captivating. Sakura noticed that Kakashi was definitely captivated, very captivated, there were a few times the man looked as if he were caught in some kind of spell, his usual pervert porno book almost falling from his lax fingers as he gazed stupidly and dreamily at Iruka sensei and Iruka sensei seemed utterly oblivious to Kakashi's will being held hostage by Iruka's beauty.

Naruto and Iruka seemed more alike now that she observed them more closely. Naruto really could have been Iruka's son. They were both so emotional and oblivious to their hold on the people around them. Sasuke watched out for Naruto and was always orbiting around Naruto. Sakura hated that. She hated being second in Sasuke's affections. She loved Sasuke but she wasn't totally blind to how he looked at Naruto, how he seemed to come to care for Naruto above Sakura and all the rest but not above his mission of vengeance. No one seemed able to steer him from that path.

Iruka was captivating and captivated. He laughed at the dolphins antics. He seemed to be conversing with them. Eventually amazingly a killer whale showed up and gifted Iruka a giant fish. Iruka laughed even more delightedly and somewhat embarrassed by the attentions such things were giving to him. Kakashi scowled at the whale and the dolphins.

"If I didn't know better I would say they were trying to steal my wife away from me." He grumbled, teased, half serious.

Iruka blushed painfully. "Oh Kashi-sama." He pretend cooed. "Don't be so silly. I'm a devoted wife and mother." He insisted playing his part to the hilt as Kakashi was doing.

The kids were still a little uncomfortable with the whole set up and were still trying to get used to calling and thinking of their two senseis as "Okasan" Mom and "Otosan" Dad. But the mission required it of them and Kakashi and Iruka had both explained to succeed they must not only pretend to be family but be family. They could not afford to be discovered, if they were so discovered terrible consequences could come of it, such as the death of their whole team.

"Mommy!" cried Naruto, happily. Iruka grabbed Naruto up into a hug and grinned happily and continued to show Naruto more things out at sea.

Kakashi's arm was wrapped around Iruka's shoulders as a husband's arm should be when he was in love with his wife and sight seeing with her. Sasuke seemed torn by the sight. He was having more difficulty with this set up than either Sakura or Naruto were. Even Kakashi, the opportunistic pervert was taking full advantage of the mission to hug and cuddle and tease Iruka mercilessly.

Sasuke was once more reminded of the shame he felt for having Kakashi for a teacher. The man may be the most powerful and ingenious ninja in all of the world but as a man, as a person, he was lacking some serious character. Iruka could do tons better than Kakashi. Sasuke just hoped Iruka didn't fall for Kakashi. Kakashi was a lazy no account pervert despite his prestige as the "great copy ninja" and Iruka sensei deserved and could do much much better than Kakashi Hatake.

Sasuke continued to glare at his "old" man. Kakashi turned to grin cheekily at Sasuke and to reach out his hand and ruffle his son's perfect dark hair.

Bastard!

Sasuke's glare intensified to "die pervert die" status.

Kakashi continued to grin. He loved doing that to Sasuke, messing up mr.perfect's perfect head of ink black hair. He chuckled evilly. Naruto laughed out loud and pointed at Sasuke until his laughs turned into giggles then into snorts and wheezes. Iruka scowled at Naruto and at Kakashi.

"Behave." Iruka ordered, in stern wife, stern teacher mode.

Kakashi immediately snuggled back against Iruka, copping more than a couple of feels of the preoccupied chunin's ass which by the third touch made Iruka blush then hiss.

"I said behave."

"Yes dear." Said Kakashi instantly contrite, but not very convincingly. He loved touching Iruka.

Naruto managed to glare deadly at Kakashi. "Dad, leave Mom alone. We don't want another sibling. Three kids are more than enough already, especially since you barely support us as it is!"

"Naruto!" growled Iruka, mortified. Sakura couldn't help a gasp either. She was so embarrassed by her "little" brother. If Iruka hadn't been holding Naruto at the time Sakura would have given Naruto some serious punishment with her fists. Sasuke only smirked and agreed with Naruto. Kakashi was being far too familiar and in public with okasan.

"Well he doesn't. He's a bum." Naruto pouted, eyes glistening near tears. My poor mommy! How she suffers!

"Your father is paying for this vacation and you will show him respect, right this instant." Chastised Iruka.

"Yeah brat." Said Kakashi in a voice scary as if from the grave, it was a deadly husky sound that made Iruka and the two other children back up a step. Naruto though bull headed came nose to nose with Kakashi.

"You threatening me?" roared Naruto.

"You being a pain in my ass?" asked Kakashi, his voice still an intense rasp.

Iruka nervously fidgeted not sure how to keep their cover and how avert the disaster that was coming their way and then inspiration struck and he began to weep piteously.

"Oh the shame of it." He wailed. "Oh how ashamed I am! I've raised my children to disrespect their father. I am a worthless and horrible wife."

This made Kakashi switch gears from threatening to suddenly sympathetic tolerant husband. Groping husband at that. The man's hands were everywhere in seconds. Iruka hid the fury in his eyes behind his hands as if trying to hide his shame as a failure of a wife. In truth he was plotting revenge.

"Now, now, dear" Soothed Kakashi, patting Iruka's back. "It's not your fault. I wasn't there for you and the kids. It's my fault. They didn't have a strong manly presence as they were growing up. But I've vowed to you to change my old ways, and we will in our new home have a better life, I promise you, love. I'll make it up to. The kids will learn to respect their father, I promise you, my darling, in our new life together everything will be perfect." He said sincerely, it could almost have been the truth.

Iruka was almost fooled like the rest of the crowd, if Iruka hadn't known who and what he was and that the two of them were on a mission he'd almost fall for such a schpeel himself if he had been in this situation in real life.

Onlookers, especially the women, were suddenly envious of Iruka. She was so lucky to have such a loving and understanding husband.

"You are too good to me Kashi-sama." He whimpered low and like a good little wife but as he neared Kakashi's ear his face still holding the perfect love sick look, he growled.

"Touch my privates one more time and I am going to stick a kunai so far up your ass it'll take Tsunade-Sama and a whole field of med nins a week to find it, got it."

Kakashi grinned even more maniac and more in love. "Anything you say my love. Your words are like nectar from the sweetest of peaches." He gave Iruka one last squeeze and then gracefully slouching his way across the deck to his usual seat he took out his pervert book and began to read.

Iruka sighed.

All three children glared at their otosan. He was such a pervert!

"Okasan, you did the best you could. You should never be ashamed of that." Insisted Sasuke sweetly. "Look what you had to deal with. The man knows no shame."

Iruka blinked a few times amazed. Sasuke hadn't been sweet in a long long time. Then the words sank in and he blushed.

"Now son, that's not a nice thing to say about your otosan." In a low, very low voice, conspiracy voice. "Even if it is true." Eyes looked at Kakashi with unhidden malice for a moment before smoothing out into kinder sappier emotions. "You are the eldest Tsubaru; you must set an example for your young sister Kagome and younger brother Kagetera."

"I will do my best Okasan."

"Good. I believe the boat is about to dock, let's get this fish packed and our bags together and get back to the hotel, alright." Iruka smiled sweetly at all three children Naruto still held protectively in his arms. Naruto snuggled contentedly in his okasan's arms his eyes actually beginning to droop from exhaustion from the excitement of the afternoon and the wonderful time he'd been having on their mini vacation.

"Can we get ice cream okasan?" asked Naruto nearer to sleep.

"Yes, Kagetera, we will get ice cream later tonight for our last walk on the beach."

Naruto smiled and fell instantly asleep. He enjoyed playing the youngest he was spoilt rotten. Iruka loved him best and they all knew it, too. Huh! Finally Naruto was number one and the rest of them were seconds. He was so happy.

TBC

Chapter three in the works! Should hopefully be posted later in the week.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Todachi was overjoyed to see his master and family again. He had worried for them while they had been away at sea. He sniffed them all excitedly and licked them all, hugged and cuddled the little ones and then tried to eat the fish that Iruka was going to prepare for supper.

"Scram Todachi, such ill manners! I am ashamed of you." Growled Iruka. "But seeing as Kashi-san is your master I cannot say that I am surprised, even if I am disappointed."

Todachi whined pitifully and hunkered to the floor looking the epitome woeful, contrite and chastised. He even rolled on to his belly and showed his neck. Kakashi blinked. His Todachi, his giant gentle fierce warrior summons was rolling on the ground submission form for Iruka. Kakashi's felt almost like crying, it wasn't the first time Kakashi had witnessed this terrible thing. The first time his jaw almost hit the floor if he wasn't a professional shinobi then such emotion of shock would have been revealed very quickly instead he kept it concealed behind a clenched jaw.

It was obvious even to his summons who wore the pants in the family. Kakashi hung his head in shame.

Iruka was considered top dog, all of his summons agreed on this, after all Iruka had defeated Kakashi in fair combat and Iruka was very good at setting boundaries and handing out punishment like an alpha would. As for Kakashi, well Kakashi, was… well Kakashi wasn't very motivated or very inspiring and the dogs continued to protest that they weren't the only ones who submitted to Iruka's iron will.

Was not Kakashi also dancing to Iruka's direction? If Iruka was directing and Kakashi following it was obvious at least to this Pack of Nin-dogs who the Alpha was and that Alpha sure as hell wasn't Kakashi.

Kakashi's pride stung. I have to get my status back, but how?

He hammered me pretty well last time. But then again I wasn't treating him with much respect. I underestimated him, yet those jutsus… I've never seen the like before at least not used in combinations like those. Nor have I felt Iruka's kind of power before or at least not that he could recall at the moment.

He knew hundred of techniques and jutsus he must have run across Iruka's style at one time or another. But no matter how much he wracked his brain no image no memory would come to him.

Iruka shook his head at Todachi biting on a grin that was slowly spreading across his lovely face. He bent down to rub Todachi's belly and scratch behind his ears and under his massive jaws.

"You're such a sweet dog, Todachi. So big and strong."

Todachi practically melted into the floor under such glowing praise and wonderful strong scratches. His tail wagged and thumped the floor like a heart beat going a million beats a second.

Kakashi growled then stomped off. Had his dog no shame?! Todachi was throwing Iruka's affections in his face. It wasn't fair! If only Iruka would touch him like that. He could be a well behaved dog too – uh-man that is - a well behaved man to if given half a chance. Yes, that's what he was a man and he would melt under Iruka's touch to like a certain nin-dog was now doing if only Iruka would touch him.

Iruka obviously gave good belly rubs otherwise Todachi wouldn't whore himself so. Damn mutt! Milking it for all he's worth. He'll pay for basking in the love of my Iruka, basking in the love that belongs to me!

Todachi could smell the upset and jealousy of his master. He gave Kakashi an innocent enough look. But he couldn't completely erase the wicked pleasure in his eyes. He knew exactly what Kakashi was upset about.

Todachi seemed to almost say with a shrug of his massive shoulders, "what's your problem? Jealous of little ol' me? Well do something about it, beta-boy." The dog seemed to almost smirk as Kakashi once again stalked off in a huff.

"I wonder what his problem is." Murmured Iruka, glaring after the departing Kakashi all the while continuing his vigorous rubs of Todachi's glorious coat of thick fur. "He's such a moody jerk. Don't let him intimidate you Todachi. You're such a good dog, oh yes you are, such a good giant dog, oh yes you are, oh yes you are."

The baby talk! Oh Gods preserve me. Todachi thought as he rolled his eyes to the heavens.

"Oh! Sorry Todachi. You're a nin-dog with dignity. I shouldn't talk down to you like that." Apologized Iruka, making up for it with more scratches and kisses and hugs.

The dog sighed as Iruka petted him one last time then turned to his cooking. Todachi's chest filled with pride. Iruka-Alpha was a very observant and understanding Human. Iruka gave Todachi a special treat of fresh meat. Todachi's love and devotion just tripled.

Iruka made sushi pretty quickly. Kakashi watched him fillet the fish between one blink of an eye and the next, then watched him portion it out and chop it into the perfect eating size. Iruka was fast with Kunai and kitchen knives. Another foot note in Kakashi's portfolio of Iruka in his mind and heart. Iruka noticed his stare this time.

"What? What are you looking at?" demanded Iruka, blushing.

"Nothing, just I never expected you to be so fast or so skilled with those knives."

"Well, I am a teacher, you know." Said Iruka. "I wouldn't be one if I couldn't perform the arts as well as any high functioning Shinobi. My reflexes and form have to be top notch otherwise how would I teach them to my students? I'm good at the basics and I teach it steadily to my students and send them to their jounin teachers and hope they can build on the lessons I taught."

"Some forget the techniques I taught hoping to learn more or even better than me from their jounin, in the end they learn it is my technique they have learned that the jounin builds on. If they have not learned my technique they get sent back to me in humiliation and then my pride as a teacher is tarnished. I then make them double the usual routine sometimes even triple it so it will stick in their heads for next time and prove to them as well as to the jounin and to myself that I was a good teacher. I will not let a student of mine fail and especially not over something so stupid as ignorance."

"They learn my basics are exactly what they are supposed to know and what they need to make it to the next level. Many people assume that a teaching chunin does not know enough or can be the equal of a jounin but let me put it this way, if a teacher does not know what they teach to their students then what good are the teachings of this teacher? How can he teach ninjutsu if he does not already have mastery of it?" Iruka was used to giving long lectures and this was one of his longest so far.

"He cannot begin to teach what is needed if he does not know what a jounin would know. He cannot guide the genin if he does not know what a chunin or a jounin or a senin would know. I am not saying I am as powerful as a senin, knowledgeable perhaps, but in power no. I am chunin because I do not take assignments. I choose not to grow in my power as a shinobi. I feel my life is better served through teaching. Besides my blood-limit's pretty scary. I would never call on it lightly." And realizing he was giving away a certain secret knowledge of himself he decided it was time to either eat or to change the subject. He didn't want to get into a history on his family or his blood–limit. He didn't like to think on what his abilities are.

"Enough lecture, I'm starved how about you guys? Let's eat." He said smiling nervously. His smiled too bright to be real.

Sasuke's eyes were speculative. Naruto was looking thoughtful and sad. What did Naruto know of Iruka's blood-limit? Had he ever witnessed it?

Kakashi wanted to ask Iruka why he had never defended himself from Mizuki if he had such power but he recalled Iruka's words. Iruka was afraid of his power. Iruka did not want to grow in his power.

What kind of power could it be? What kind of blood-limit could a gentle, kindly, and loving Iruka possibly have? As he thought on it and on Mizuki's behavior he had to wonder.

Had Mizuki known what kind of power Iruka had? And was that perhaps one answer for the way Mizuki had treated Iruka? Had Mizuki believed that enough abuse would eventually make Iruka lose it and set his blood-limit free? And in doing this, leave himself open to Mizuki's manipulation and the possibility of harnessing that power of Iruka's for Misuki's own means and purposes in trying to kill the Kyuubai?

And just maybe, possibly, even somehow maybe with Iruka's power forcing the Hokage-ship to come to Mizuki's or rather Iruka's own hands? If so Iruka would have been a Hokage in name only and Mizuki's puppet. These thoughts were very disturbing to him.

It was mind boggling and very disturbing to think these things of Iruka and even of Mizuki. Sometimes he hated how his genius mind worked.

Kakashi hated Mizuki.

The family ate dinner, then the kids prepared for bed, ice cream was put off until tomorrow when they would be leaving town.

Kakashi continued to contemplate on Iruka.

He remembered two years ago a younger Naruto and a younger Iruka popping into his apartment under the influence of a trailed transportation jutsu. It went without saying that Kakashi had been stunned. A child had followed his jutsu's signature and like a hound on his trail ended up in Kakashi's home. The kid had been lucky Kakashi had not been prepared at that time for such an event, now if he tried it he'd get a nasty surprise. Kakashi would never believe again that such a thing was impossible. If he hadn't have witnessed it and experienced it first hand he would have said it couldn't be done but that kid had done it had trailed him and followed him and had used his technique all without training.

The man in the boy's arms was near death, blood spreading at a horrible mind numbing rate. A face hidden by dark brown loose hair arms wrapped protectively defensively around the little boy whose arms held him and whose power had kicked in and transported them to safety.

Kakashi felt immediately this pain in his heart. They were the picture of devotion and loyalty. Kakashi could not ignore them or let this man and his child down.

The dying man was somehow familiar to him. But why? And from where did Kakashi know the man from? Well obviously they were residents of Konoha but still. Where and why did he feel this pain?

"Aw MAANN!" growled, yelled the child. "This ain't the hospital! Where the hell am I? I gotta get my Ruka-niisan to the hospital. That bastard Mizuki, arrgh! I'm gonna kill that bastard when I'm an adult, you can believe it! Where, where the hell is the Hospital? Why didn't this stupid thing work right, argghh?!" cried the little ragged blonde child, frantic in his anger, panic, and grief, near to tears.

The kid was definitely loud and caffeinated. Kakashi could not imagine any other explanation. It wasn't natural that kind of energy. He was a squirrel on caffeine, he just had to be.

But those names, they sounded familiar to him. A quick flash of a younger man with a scar reaching from one cheek to the next over a cute upturned nose, dark eyes awash in tears and screaming for his parents, the two ninja who were currently trying to save Konoha along with the rest of the ninja population and like many of those same sacrificing ninja they were dead in a blink of an eye, swallowed up by the fires of the 9-tailed fox.

Fast forward a few years later the same youth now a young man passing his chunin exams but clinging to his friend in such a way that it screamed "We're together! I love this guy!" devotion and just a few years later that same young man in the missions office looking tired, looking almost afraid, bruises and laughter and fresh coffee and yet the chunin was compassionate and caring as his arms wrapped around a collapsed Kakashi faltering from a mission gone bad.

He had been injured badly.

Iruka had caught him and taken him to a healer had wrapped a clean gauze bandage around his torso and tucked him into bed as another man hissed abuse and hurled insecurities in the background. Kakashi recognized he was also at home in his own room instead of the hospital, which he was grateful for, though concerned to have his traps all disabled by Iruka sensei.

He had thrown his lamp with perfect aim.

The mean voice was cut off and Iruka was gasping in shock and begging "Mizuki, oh my god, Mizuki, are you alright? Let's get you to the hospital."

Then blessed silence and a vacated home, he was finally alone and actually feeling it for the first time. He was alone, and now today, Iruka had need of him. Iruka could make the loneliness go away. (I apologize for any confusion, this part's kind of a memory within a memory within a memory.)

"Little squirrel, let me help you." Kakashi had said, for once being rather polite. After all it wasn't everyday one was being visited by a chipmunk and battered dying little chunin teacher.

"Who you calling a SQUIRREL?" roared the loudmouth.

"Never mind that, do you want your Onisan to live or not?"

"I want him to live!" screamed sobbed the distraught child, snot oozing out of his nose.

The cute factor just died. Thought Kakashi. Children are disgusting. "Right, hang on."

Kakashi with supreme effort and selflessness hoisted bloody near corpse and snotty child into his arms and then transported them to the hospital where he left them after the nurse attended the chunin and the Hokage arrived to attend to the brat.

Fast forward two years later. Kids were still disgusting and Naruto had grown in his power and Iruka was alive and beautiful and still very much unaware that Kakashi had helped him in his time of peril.

Naruto was gifted and powerful yet the boy learned things in peculiar ways and was difficult to teach. Kakashi did not mean to exclude Naruto he just knew that the Uchiha heir would eventually develop the Sharingan and when that day came Kakashi knew that if he didn't teach Sasuke to control his power that power would control him. He had a special teacher in mind for young Naruto for later on in his training.

Did Orochimoro know of Iruka's family's hidden technique? Probably not, or maybe it was too scary even for a freak like Orochimoro to want for his own. There was a lot to think on. His Iruka was more than he seemed.

Underneath the Underneath indeed.

Kakashi sighed like his dog, so much to think about and now with images of Iruka in his head, Itcha Itcha Paradise & Violence volume 3 was put on hold on the back burner indefinitely. Kakashi had never thought the day would come when Itcha Itcha would lose its power over him now that power was transferred to Iruka Umino. He loved looking at Iruka. He loved fantasizing about Iruka.

He'd tried for nearly 22 months, since the incident, to get up the nerve to ask Iruka out on a date. At first giving Iruka a few months to get over Mizuki and to heal from the things that bastard Mizuki had done to him but over time Kakashi's bravery failed him and he could only worship Iruka from afar.

He couldn't help his stupidity in Iruka's presence. The man quite literally took his breath away and with it his mind's abilities to think.

For this assignment and the opportunities it afforded him to touch Iruka all to his heart's contentedness he knew he would follow Tsunade sama til the day his heart could no longer beat. He owed her, big time.

"Stop looking at Okasan that way!" screamed Naruto.

Kakashi sighed and rolled his eyes. "Go away brat."

Sasuke managed to grab Naruto in mid air as he launched himself into full on attack mode. Sasuke held onto the little bundle of malice and endless energy with his own tenacious strength. Iruka scowled at their antics.

"Kagetera! What on earth do you think you are doing?! You are no ninja! And do not attack your father like that." Roared Iruka in his very angry voice.

Naruto was putting the mission in jeopardy. He had to be made to remember not to act like a ninja. They were supposed to be a civilian family. Iruka was to be a substitute teacher looking for work. Their family was supposed to be trying to make a new start and Kakashi was supposed to fall in with the gang in the town they would be settling down in.

The children flinched and gave little whimpers as fear began to set in. Rule number one, you can make Iruka upset but do not make him angry. An angry Iruka meant detention and not just ordinary detention but painful detention. Exercises had a new meaning when Iruka was angry. Punishment was brutal and never failed to make the student learn their lessons fast. An upset Iruka meant lectures an angry Iruka meant pain.

The children faced their angry teacher, mission assigned okasan, bravely and took their punishment like the shinobi they were. In other words Naruto sobbed. Sakura bemoaned "why me, I didn't do anything wrong?" and Sasuke silent and cool. Kakashi transported himself out of harm's way and stayed hidden for most of the rest of the evening.

Kakashi made his way silently to the bed, stripped off all of his clothes but for a pair of embarrassing hearts decorated boxers dived under the covers and snuggled into the warmth of the bed. The warmth that his Iruka provided him.

He had learned his lesson the first time he had shared the bed with Iruka to keep his boxers on, normally Kakashi liked to sleep in the nude and with Iruka in the bed he would have loved being nude with Iruka. His brain melted with those deliciously perverted images in his head but Iruka had made sure he remembered to not go around naked.

One, they had a daughter to think of. Two, Iruka did not want a naked Kakashi in his bed, ever. He made it very clear with a good hard kick to the privates. Kakashi had been in pain for hours after word even with the ice pack on.

How cruel his Iruka was. He mourned. But it did not make Kakashi love him any less.

Iruka was laying very still under the covers waiting for Kakashi and waiting for the moment he could talk to him. He knew Kakashi was exercising his mind of his pervert thoughts and he would not be in any kind of receptive mood until the thoughts were stilled.

One hour Ten minutes later.

"I want you to stop goading the children. You're an adult you need to start acting responsibly. How are we going to pull this assignment off, if all you do all day every day is piss off the kids." He hissed. "And lastly, I don't want to wake up in the morning to you snuggling my ass. What is it with you and my ass?" He asked exasperated.

Iruka cannot be that dense. Thought Kakashi. Why isn't he reading my signals? I'm giving off enough signals to light up a midnight sky. I swear!

"But you're my wife, sweets, I have to snuggle up to your ass, its nice and firm and warm and cushiony all at the same time. It's a wonderful pillow ass."

Iruka squeaked and began to slide as far away from the crazy jounin on what little bit of space the small bed allowed as possible. Kakashi sighed.

"I'll try not to, alright? But I can't really make any promises. The bed is rather small for a double and I gravitate towards comfortable warm things." He lied, smoothly.

I'm being harassed! I know I am! Thought Iruka irked. But I have to put up with it for the mission but when this thing was over, Kakashi was going to pay and pay and pay. The fires of wrath were slowly burning and they made Iruka smile.

Iruka dreamed of revenge but as the night wore on, his mind turned towards other things disturbing things, things that made him whimper and twist the covers. His mind was painted in a canvas of slick dripping splashing blood. Bodies, old and young, human and non human and animal littered his mind. He was drowning in bubbling blood. It smelled sweet and tasted like honey, disgusted with the strange desires birthing inside of him he tried to fight the hunger, their blood called to him. The other one was there and it smiled coldly at him. Iruka recognized him and he cowered in fear.

"Please, no, please." He begged.

The other held Naruto to his mouth and bit into his flesh, tearing and ripping as fangs made a meal out of tender innocence. Iruka screamed and screamed he tried to kill the monster but it only laughed at him.

"You don't want them to grow up to be monsters. There's not enough room in the world for more than one, and that monster is going to be you." It said.

"No, no, no I'm not. I won't be. I don't want to be a monster." Iruka wept. "Please don't do this. I don't want this. Not my son, not Naruto. I won't let you hurt him."

"Its not me that's going to hurt him my sweets, its going to be you that does it. Its your destiny I'm afraid and time is ticking. You're almost at that age. We can do it the easy way or the hard way. But in the end you all succumb to it. Its what we are. We're monsters of the sea, Iruka. You're a monster and soon the world will tremble in fear and they will bleed for us; all that delicious, wonderfully warm, exhilarating, life force and blood will be yours. Just imagine it, an ocean of blood Iruka, imagine it, all that liquid sustenance, a smorgasbord of beautiful, delightful blood."

Iruka struggled and bit down on a scream as he was suddenly overwhelmed by sheets of ice. He froze and was immobile as the winter chill, the icy chill of the arctic, surrounded him and delved within in, drowning him in the curse of his blood-limit.

Kakashi was instantly on alert as was Dachi. These nightmares were not the other kind, the harmless ones, where Iruka relived Mizuki's brutalities. No this was a nightmare of the other kind. Shadows writhed around Iruka's body, his face seemed to thin and lose pigment, his eyes opened sightlessly, they too were pale, the dark of his eyes, now black as obsidian were framed by blue ice.

A cold chill emanated from Iruka's flesh. Kakashi formed seals again trying to dispel whatever it was that was attacking Iruka but nothing happened. Kakashi felt his heat being sucked out of him. He put up more chakra to keep his body from going hypothermic.

When the cold pale skin smoothed out on his face into a chilled smile Kakashi shivered as Iruka's voice changed and became something almost hypnotic even as it hissed its evil heart's wants.

"Blood. So much blood, all that chakra and life force, hmmm, its so satisfying and so good. The blood will rain down, their blood will give us life, all the little ones' blood. His fire blood, the nine tail's life force, will keep us so warm, so very warm."

Kakashi shook his head and dispelled some of the pull this voice had on him. "Fight it Iruka. Fight it. You love Naruto. Don't let this thing win. You're so much stronger than it is."

Those cold eyes focused on Kakashi and the smile grew more cruel. "You're wrong you know, he'll lose eventually and what will you do little jounin when his heart is cold as ice and the only thing that will warm him is fresh spilled blood?" the thing that wanted to take Iruka over laughed cold and chill with amusement at Kakashi's pain.

"He won't lose. I won't let him lose to you." hissed Kakashi. Sharingan whirling in his eye with deadly promise.

The thing laughed. "Don't you know, stubborn Kakashi, don't you know?" it asked him, if it were capable of pity Kakashi suspected that it pitied him at this moment but he knew this creature was not made with such emotions. It craved killing. It craved the lives of Iruka's child and team mates.

How could such an evil being live inside of Iruka? But that was such a foolish question he might as well ask the same thing of Naruto, how can an evil fox demon live inside of you? No matter how terrible the truth of the matter was, inside of Iruka and inside of Naruto were two different forms of demons waiting to come out.

No wonder Iruka had felt the pull so strongly to call Naruto his own. Like called to like. Kakashi was in some eyes a demon in his own right and perhaps that too was what called to him in Iruka.

Kakashi grieved.

Iruka slowly came back. Pale skin began to flush rose then turned to its usual bronze pigment. Obsidian eyes turned warm but unfocussed attesting to the fact that Iruka was still soundly asleep. He whispered determined like Kakashi. "I'm not a monster. I won't be a monster."

The moonlight and shadows slowly seeped away as warm dark skin resurfaced. He looked disturbed and afraid even as he was determined to fight the thing inside of him. He was shivering so hard from the cold chill of earlier that the bed shook with his tremors.

Kakashi held on to him as he had the nights before and like those nights Iruka snuggled against him, pressed hard against him soaking in his extra heat until his muscles relaxed once more into a gracefully sleeping body. He was comforted in Kakashi's arms. His fear drained from him with the heat of Kakashi's body draped over his own.

Kakashi held him in his arms afraid that if he let go Iruka would disappear again. "I won't lose. I won't lose you to that thing inside of you. We will fight it together. I won't lose you, Iruka. I won't lose."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**WARNING: This chapter is a dark one and shows some more glimpses into Iruka and Mizuki's past together. Iruka ABUSED! Non-Con, ugly language, MizuIru sex scene. You have been duly warned! (though I have tried to edit this some and the more explicit version will be uploaded to my site soon)**

**Chapter Four**

Iruka was brooding over the situation he was just now discovering. Tsubaru and Kagetera or rather Sasuke and Naruto were in love.

This was disturbing to Iruka. There were so many terrible similarities between Sasuke and Mizuki. Mizuki was cold only near the end which made the abuse bearable. It had felt less like a lover and more like some weird other person studying and scientific like, some clinical person, detached person was beating another detached broken person.

He looked at Kakashi. Had Kakashi known? Known about Mizuki? Does Kakashi know about Naruto and Sasuke?

Iruka thought the jounin just might know about Naruto and Sasuke and maybe even a hint of what Iruka's life had been like under Mizuki's thumb. The jounin always had something sly to say to the boys on their growing relationship. Kakashi was always teasing them.

Stress was not good for Iruka. Bad things always happened when he was stressed. He was tired. Too many nights on the road, too many disturbing dreams, too many memories rattling around in his head few of which were actually happy ones.

What you must think of me, Kakashi. Sighed Iruka. I'm a weak link. I lived in fear for so long that I forgot what it was like to live free. I forgot what a sunset felt like or what a walk in the trees felt like. I lived under Mizuki for so long. It was the little things he started taking away from me first, things I at first didn't even realize were gone until it was too late. He took away all of my freedoms, even the ability to think for myself. I won't let that happen to Naruto. I will make sure Sasuke doesn't get that far.

Memory-Flash

_Mizuki was all that he had in the world. He'd cut himself off from most of his friends because Mizuki had need of so much of his time and love. He was exhausted from constantly being needed. Mizuki had asked him not to go out with friends any more. Had asked him to be on time from work to home and no dilly dallying. Mizuki was jealous of other people taking his lover's time. He didn't trust them to treat his Iruka well. Iruka was kind and easily taken advantage of and Mizuki wouldn't like it if someone was taking advantage of his wife._

"_You're mine. Why do you need anyone else when you have me? Don't I take care of you, baby?"_

End Earlier memory

_Another Memory _

_As usual Iruka struggled. Mizuki smelled rank like alcohol, metal and blood. Iruka's head hit the wall as Mizuki shoved him hard and kicked his legs apart for better access. Iruka gasped, whimpered. "Not so rough."_

"_Shut it, its been weeks, stop playing so hard to get. I've been gone on a mission for weeks. I want my slut and I want him now," he crooned. "You can take it Iruka. A little pain wont matter once I hit your sweet spot we both know that. It turns you on fast._

_His clothes were torn and shredded. Naruto watched from a cupboard hidden away. Iruka kept trying to struggle, he begged Mizuki to stop. It made Mizuki angry. He beat on Iruka until the kind chunin was senseless. _

_Iruka's eyes were vacant and dazed. _

_Mizuki gave one last grunt. He smiled. Zipped up his pants then stood up and headed out of the kitchen and to their bedroom._

_"Don't forget to clean this mess up."_

_It wasn't the first time Mizuki had taken what he wanted without Iruka's cooperation. Iruka felt defeated. _

_Used._

_Why did he fight so? When all he ever did was lose?_

_I love Mizuki and I know he loves me, so why do I fight him? Why do I make this so much harder than it has to be?_

More Memories assaulted him

"_You don't refuse me! You're my wife. I give you this house, everything you could ever need or want. You're an ingrate Iruka."_

"_I should kill you."_

"_Remember Iruka if not for me you'd have no one. No one. Do you understand." _

_You're worthless_

_More Memories _

"_That damned academy gives you stupid ideas, you're a dreamer Iruka. Without me you couldn't even balance a fucking check book. How you ever became a teacher! I will never understand."_

_Smack. _

_Crash._

_Thud._

"_How do you live on a dream Iruka? I love you. You shouldn't fight me so, we're married. You belong to me. If I want to fuck you you just spread you legs or get down on your knees and stop fighting it. I'm sick of fighting for a single fuck! You're mine god dam it!" Mizuki straddled the still form of the near unconscious sensei. Mizuki's fist slammed into his face repeatedly. _

_Another memory _

_Iruka didn't defend himself. He couldn't. He was Mizuki's if Mizuki felt he deserved punishment then he deserved it. He had no one but himself to blame for it. He had tried to deny Mizuki's ownership of his body. _

Another Memory

_He had tried to fight. He knew better than to fight. But it was over for now. Mizuki had gone to bed now. Iruka would have to clean up the mess in the kitchen before Mizuki woke up in the morning or he'd get walloped again._

"_Iruka-nii?" asked a tiny little voice as a tiny little blonde and orange blur toddled over to him eyes huge with tears and fear and concern._

"_Its alright Naru-chan." he whispered eyes warm, trying to comfort and soothe the fragile child. Blood still leaked from a split lip. His eye was purple and blood shot. Bruises on his throat from when Mizuki tried to choke him earlier._

_Mizuki. Why? Why does this always happen? Its my fault I know. I know. You weren't always like this before I just need to try harder. I just._

_Just because I wasn't in the mood I still shouldn't have pushed Mizuki off. He works so hard and he really does ask so little of me. I shouldn't be such a bad wife to Mizuki. _

"_I should have made dinner and been in bed waiting for Mizuki instead of grading papers and running late." he murmured mostly to himself. If he'd been a better wife he could have made Mizuki happy. They could have made love in the bedroom instead of against a cold hard wall and in the kitchen in the child's sight in front of his hiding place._

"_Mizuki wasn't himself. The alcohol and the mission he was on. It wasn't his fault. I should have known better." he excused Mizuki's actions, while stroking a shaking hand through shaggy overgrown blonde locks. "We'll get you a hair cut in a few days, when my chakra heals these bruises of mine, ne?" he chuckled. "Make you handsome and irresistible, and then Mizuki will like you and we can be a family. We can be a family, wouldn't you like that Naru-chan?" He asked dreamily._

"_I don't like Mizuki." scowled Naruto. "But I love you, Iruka-Nii, I want to be family with you, though."_

_Iruka smiled warmly and hugged his little kitsune. "I love you as well Naruto. Mizuki isn't this mean all the time. He's really quite sweet and charming once you get to know him. He's just been under a lot of stress lately. If we be nicer to him and try harder to make life easier for him than he wont be so stressed. You'll see. He's really very kind when you get to know him." assured Iruka. _

_End Memory_

Brooding back in the present

_He had wanted so hard to believe that if he tried hard enough. If he did all that Mizuki wanted of him then he'd make Mizuki happy again then Mizuki wouldn't go out at night to visit the other people he had been sleeping with at the time. _

_Iruka had foolishly believed, truly believed, that once they were a family Mizuki wouldn't go out at night. A man with a family was loyal to his family. He had believed that giving Mizuki a real family would also make Mizuki happy and maybe he would stop beating him._

_Iruka had believed it with every ounce of his will. He had wanted to believe Mizuki was his good loving husband underneath the cheater, liar, abuser. The real Mizuki was hidden under all of that. His real Mizuki, the man he had loved was somewhere under all of that, somewhere._

_Iruka had to have faith or so he had believed at that time._

_Iruka didn't take vows lightly, he never had. He had convinced himself that it would get better eventually and this had been nothing more than just a rough patch. He'd vowed to stay with Mizuki through health and illness until death. But in the end Iruka had failed that vow. He had finally realized his life with Mizuki was an empty one and filled with fear. Iruka had been nothing more to Mizuki than a caged bird. A fragile possession to abuse and use at will. If Mizuki could not or would not honor the bonds between them then it was time to call it quits. When the love dies there is no marriage._

_Kakashi and Naruto had saved Iruka's life. _

Memory

_He had wanted so much to believe that Mizuki would love him even more now that they would have a child and a family, a true family. But he had been wrong. The abuse got worse once Naruto was introduced. _

_Mizuki had laughed derisively. "Family!" he growled, rejecting the concept emphatically._

"_Yes, we can be a real family. Naruto can be our son."_

_Mizuki punched him in the mouth. "Shut up, this is sick, Iruka! He's a monster. There can never be a family for this creature and definitely not in my house! Get rid of him."_

"_Please Mizuki He's a good boy. He's not a monster he's sweet and I love him." Iruka knew better than to argue. He also knew better than to confess loving anyone else other than Mizuki._

_Mizuki's fists were blurs as were his feet. Iruka defended the child and himself as best as he could but in the end his ribs were broken, his arm was broken, his hip crushed._

"_Look what you did!" roared Mizuki accusingly at Naruto. "You turned him against me! You'll pay you little beast." Mizuki's belt swung through the air and made perfect contact with the child's back. One strip then two then three stripes of red cutting straight through the orange shirt to the pale fragile skin below._

_Iruka was crawling, one arm dragging his body along the carpet, blood was so hard to get out of the white carpet, it was going to be a daunting task once he was healed enough to work on it, dragging his body slowly painfully across the floor trying to get to the child but found he could only move enough to make it to Mizuki's place. He wrapped his arms around Mizuki's knees and pulled Mizuki off balance._

"_Run Naruto. Run." screamed Iruka, fearing if the child stayed Naruto would be killed._

_Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke._

"_Please." he begged Mizuki. "Please, he's only a child. Please Mizuki, stop, please."_

"_I love you. I love you. I swear I love you. I spoke wrongly I don't love Naruto. I don't love anyone but you, I swear it." wept Iruka, panicking, lying, hoping for some kind of show of mercy._

_Mizuki dragged Iruka by his hair and threw him down once more on the floor and away from him. He used the belt to beat Iruka into submission. All of his hopes all of his dreams of a loving family he'd been lying to himself, Mizuki was going to kill him one of these days. Maybe it would be today. Maybe today he'd be released from his vows._

_He blanked his mind and rode out the pain as Mizuki took him. His hip, oh god it hurt! His leg, his arm! Oh God Oh God oh God. He could hear vaguely Mizuki's pleasured moans his grunts, the dirty names he called Iruka when he was in this state of temper, felt his body respond and quake with every thrust as Mizuki pounded mercilessly into his body. _

_Iruka couldn't even scream. He could barely breathe._

_After Mizuki was done he straightened up their clothes and whispered into Iruka's ear as he lifted him into his arms and begun to carry him to the hospital. "Bandits found us when we were having a late night romance stroll, you were beaten pretty badly but I killed them, you got it? Repeat what I just said Iruka, or so help me." he warned._

_Iruka whispered it back to him word for word. Mizuki smiled and then kissed his forehead._

"_There's my good baby. No more talk about a family, alright Iruka? Especially not one that includes the Kyuubi."_

"_Yes, Mizuki-sama. I don't need anyone else but you." He lied. _

_I love Naruto. I want Naruto for my son. Why can't we be a family? Why can't I have a family? _

"_I was foolish. I didn't mean to upset you. Please forgive me, Mizuki-sama. I love only you." He lied. _

_He was getting good at lying. _

_Yes, silly me, I'm so clumsy. Oh well you know, I tripped. We have these stairs at home. Oh that! Well you know pre-genin, I shouldn't have given them those practice Kunai just yet! Chuckle chuckle, blush blush, scratch the scar over his cheeks and nose. _

_Oh those things on my neck? Oh no those aren't fingerprints, that's silly of you to say, those are hickeys, oh yes, my Mizuki he sometimes gets overzealous when we make love. All those lies. All the times he could never look anyone in the face. _

_He didn't want to know if they knew he was lying to them. He didn't want them to know he had been lying to them all for years. He loves me. He makes me happy. He takes care of me. We love each other. We're forever Mizuki and me._

_Enough lies. _

_It was truth time. Mizuki's going to kill me. I don't think we're in love any more, maybe we never were._

_Pay attention Mizuki's speaking. You know how angry he gets when you don't pay attention. Said a cold yet high panicky voice._

"_That's alright Baby. I know your intentions were good. You wanted to give me a son and that was noble of you, baby, but I told you I love you and only you. I don't want kids. If I wanted a kid I'd go marry one of those cunts that keep eyeing me. It's sick to want a kid and to raise him in our kind of lifestyle Baby, you know that now, don't you baby? Ah, here we are, the hospital, we'll talk later about this. Meanwhile do you remember what happened?"_

"Yes, we were attacked by bandits I was hurt bad but Mizuki-sama killed them." Iruka replied promptly, not wanting to anger Mizuki anymore for the evening.

"_Good baby, very good." Mizuki smiled lovingly at him and then handed him over to the medical ninjas. _

_Iruka stopped fighting after that. Mizuki had finally broken him._

Another memory not long after that night barely two months later in the hospital for the last time, after Naruto had rescued him. Kakashi had arrested Mizuki after helping Iruka and Naruto to the hospital.

"_What have I taught you in this life?" he asked discouraged and despairing. I've taught you that abuse is okay, and its not. I've only taught you to stay a victim. I don't want you to ever be a victim._

"_Not to sit back and take it."_

_Iruka's head jerked up in shock. What was Naruto saying?_

"_You taught me that love is a great big thing and that its good to have a heart and you're stronger because of the love in your heart for your people and the village, that its love that allows you to endure even if it's the wrong thing to endure. Don't worry Iruka Nii-sama, If ever my precious person hits me, they're allowed one free-bee and then the next time it happens I kick their __ass!__" roared Naruto._

_Kakashi and Iruka both twitched at the volume of his loud proclamation but they couldn't help but smile at it. Nothing could dampen Naruto down for long. Not to mention Kakashi had fed him Ramen for three days straight while Iruka had been in a coma._

"_Okay." said Iruka laughing. "Okay." Maybe Naruto would be okay. Maybe he wouldn't find an abuser to love and to become a victim as Iruka had become._

"_Thank you Kakashi for helping us."_

End Memory flashback

It had taken a long time to get out of the mindset of a victim of someone who was constantly under another person's control. His body had healed quickly but not his mind.

More memories:

Mizuki hadn't stayed in prison long. Abuse of a spouse was pretty low on the criminal priority list for a long term sentence. Too bad because if it had been then perhaps so much heartache could have been avoided.

Mizuki had tried to win Iruka's love back but Iruka had stayed strong he had demanded their marriage be annulled. The Hokage had granted Iruka' wish.

Mizuki's hate festered and grew strong. He refused to believe he had ever wronged Iruka at all. He never apologized for sleeping around on Iruka. Nor did he apologize for raping and beating Iruka throughout what little remained their marriage. Mizuki blamed everyone's interference for the ruin of his life with Iruka but mainly he believed the wreck of his marriage lay alone on the shoulders of the 9-tail Fox vessel. He refused to take responsibility for any of his actions.

Mizuki had given up his jounin rank and settled for being a chunin again. He tried to get back on Iruka's good side. He even managed to weasel his way into the academy. But Iruka wouldn't let him dominate his life again. He stood steadfast by Naruto's side and rebuffed every advance Mizuki threw his way.

Why had Iruka dared to trust Mizuki again?

Mizuki had been charming. He had assured Iruka now that his stress was less they could have a happy life together but Iruka had known better and had searched his heart. He knew he could not love Mizuki again. Though something in him still loved Mizuki. Iruka was careful not to awaken that part of him.

Mizuki had grown clever at hiding his growing insanity and hate. When he'd finally made his move Iruka still hadn't believed how well he had fallen for Mizuki's good guy act again. Iruka had made a choice yet again to defy Mizuki and to protect Naruto. Finally destroying what little remained of Mizuki's sketchy sanity and shutting the door on that part of his life or so he had believed until Kakashi's interest in him began to stir up those old memories and those old frightening feelings.

end memory

He continued to brood.

He had tried to repress all the unresolved issues that he still carried around inside of him. He had tried to be strong for Naruto and for himself so that he could live his life without fear. He tried to dream again because Naruto had made it possible for Iruka to dream.

Kakashi was a frightening unknown, like Sasuke. Yet, he owed Kakashi a lot.

Kakashi had helped them when Iruka and Naruto had moved out of Mizuki's and Iruka's home. Iruka had ended up leaving most of his things behind because they didn't even belong to him. They were either gifts from Mizuki or else in Mizuki's name like the house. Iruka had thought the house had been in both their names but it hadn't been it had been only in Mizuki's.

His feelings were very conflicted when it came to Kakashi Hatake. Kakashi himself was a conflict of information, actions words, body language. The man was a puzzle, a complete mystery puzzle.

He couldn't bear to see Naruto in such a terrible situation as he had been in.

Sasuke didn't even try to hide his abusive nature. He was always picking fights with Naruto, calling Naruto names. But to be fair Naruto did the same to Sasuke.

At night when the kids were fast asleep they discussed Iruka's worries. Kakashi kept telling Iruka he was being overprotective and overly sensitive to the situation. "You're seeing ghosts Ruka. I do not detect anything like what you describe in their actions. Sasuke is nothing like Mizuki."

Iruka wasn't so naïve as he had once been. Kakashi though knew Sasuke better than Iruka did. Kakashi was training them and was in constant close contact with all three students. But nowhere near the relationship Iruka had with Naruto. However Iruka had to admit that he knew very little about Sasuke and had never been allowed to get close to the boy because of his own mental issues at the time and his relationship with Mizuki too. Iruka had been an emotional wreck. His mind had been on his own problems and on Naruto's. He had a large classroom of hyperactive troublemaking pre-genin. His life had been full, he hadn't the energy or ability to help another emotionally disturbed child.

Iruka felt guilty about that. He knew he couldn't help everyone. He knew that as a teacher he was lucky with the size of his classroom and the many children within it, he knew he was lucky that he reached as many of those children as he had. It still didn't help when he felt a failure when he looked at the withdrawn and emotionally distant Uchiha massacre survivor.

Iruka knew it was not completely his fault that he had failed his student. Sasuke had not been anywhere near ready to share anything about himself with anyone else back then or even now. Though he did seem to be trying to with Naruto.

On this journey Sasuke was showing even Iruka a surprising side of his character. Sasuke watched over Naruto. But he also watched Iruka like Tomadachi and Kakashi did with concern. He showed he was a very perceptive little genin. He knew something was going on with Iruka-sensei and he knew he needed to make sure Naruto was kept oblivious.

Iruka was grateful for that but he still wasn't so sure that he trusted Sasuke with Naruto's heart.

More brooding  
Being on a mission with Kakashi and the children was strange. The serene feel of his and Kakashi's pretend relationship was amazingly perfect. It felt, surreal and real. It felt good. Kakashi was gentle, caring, tender. Kakashi treated him like a beloved wife which was part of the disguise, the cover story for them, a small little family moving in to a new village Iruka housewife and tutor, Kakashi a lay about scumbag.

Kakashi Thoughts on the mission and his current situation with Iruka and his team of little soldiers and disrespecting ninja dog.

Tsunade had told Kakashi to be mean, be abusive, but Kakashi couldn't do it. Not after what Iruka had gone through with Mizuki for all those years. Tsunade had no clue of the recent background of Iruka. Otherwise she never would have suggested such a terrible thing to be apart of the charade they were playing. Kakashi had no intentions of explaining to Tsunade the reasons behind his adamant refusal to be so bad a bastard that he'd have no choice but to take his own life if he laid such an unkind hand on his little dolphin chunin.

Iruka looked older than his mid twenties because of Mizuki. That bastard chunin had sucked the life and youth out of Iruka

Iruka was getting frail as the weeks of their journey were finally taking its toll on him. Iruka was having troubles enough figuring out real from the unreal at the moment and he didn't want to jeopardize the chunin's trust in him. He would never put an abusive hand on Iruka. Besides even if he hadn't his own integrity he knew for a fact that Naruto wouldn't stand for it. He'd probably unleash Kyuubaiy on his lazy jounin ass. And as for Sasuke, he shivered as images of the full potential of the Sharingan in both eyes became fully active and was in league with Naruto. And then there was Sakura though no where near the league of malice chakra strength as her two cohorts she did have a way of making a man feel like scum with just a look of her arrogant female eye.

Oh no, if he wanted to live he wasn't going to touch Iruka in any other way but that of love and kindness and gentleness.

Iruka wasn't feeling well. He hadn't felt like himself for weeks now. He had moments of irrational emotions and thoughts. He was afraid and angry and sad. Kakashi was worried. Iruka had moments where he looked at the children, especially Naruto, and you could almost read his heart. "I should kill him. I should relieve this suffering. I don't want him to be a victim. These children shouldn't be allowed to grow up to be made into killers."

Kakashi kept an eye on Iruka.

He knew how strong, how dangerous Iruka could be. Thanks to the incident, nearly two months ago. Iruka could be fierce and protective, especially where Naruto and the children were concerned. Iruka would die for his children. His heart was so pure and so loving. But there was a darkness there as well.

An even older memory came back to him of something, nearly a decade ago. Iruka had been a talented genin, he'd made chunin pretty quickly. Perhaps this too had been the reason why Mizuki had crushed Iruka's spirit and power. But Mizuki couldn't break him totally. Though Kakashi was sure Mizuki had tried.

Mizuki had been a possessive bastard. He'd dominated and domineered Iruka every step of their childhood friendship and only got worse as they grew older and even worse after they were married.

As night fell Iruka rocked back and forth staring at the sleeping children from the other side of the low flames of the fire. He looked conflicted. He looked not entirely in his right mind. His hair was loose and he had been pulling on it and twisting it in his growing agitation, making his hair tangle in an unkempt and un-Iruka like fashion. He was muttering things arguing with himself, whispering words too soft and too low to make out from where Kakashi was standing guard.

Iruka seemed to come to some sort of agonizing decision. Shakily he took a breath and let it out, his hands twitched as he began to form a seal of sort, a chakra attack or a summons? Wondered Kakashi. Iruka called kunai to his hands and he made to take a step towards the children.

"Iruka," said Kakashi sternly, calm radiated from him. He hoped he would infect Iruka with it. He interrupted the disturbed chunin's movement and caused his attention to come to him even if it was only for a moment. Iruka's eyes flickered between ice and obsidian. "You do not want to hurt the children." Insisted Kakashi firmly.

Iruka froze Kunai in hand, he was shaking. "But I have to. I can't let them grow up to be murderers. This pain, Kakashi. This pain. What would you know of it? Should they be allowed to feel such pain? Should Naruto be allowed to make the same mistakes as I did? Would you have Sasuke be a Mizuki? What kind of mother am I to let them grow up in a hard world like this?"

Kakshi materialized behind the frozen chunin, arms going around Iruka in a hold meant as a warning as well as meant to be comfort.

"You're not yourself Iruka."

Iruka tried to take another step and Kakashi's hold tightened, a warning. He would not let Iruka jeopardize the mission or kill the children, their team mates, their family.

"Please." Kakashi found he was begging. He was shaking. He didn't want to hurt the gentle chunin. "You don't want to do this Iruka. Please put down the Kunai." His voice was shaking like his tensely coiled body. He really did not want to kill Iruka. He loved him.

Iruka shrugged out of his hold somehow and took several quick steps towards the sleeping genin. Kakashi tried again to intercept Iruka and to keep him from killing any of the kids. But then Naruto rolled over and suddenly Iruka was frozen in his place like a statue.

Kakashi cursed his troubled heart. He loved Iruka but he wouldn't let Iruka kill those they both loved. He knew if he failed to keep Iruka from harming the kids Iruka would be lost no matter what the outcome. Iruka would be lost to him forever and Iruka would be lost to the village as well. Iruka would be lost even unto himself. Iruka would never forgive Kakashi his weakness.

Naruto's blanket fell down, his night shirt had somehow runn up his belly to show a happy tummy full of Ramen. Iruka was now the one shaking as Naruto murmured something in his sleep. Something that made Iruka break into tears, the kunai fell to the ground, points imbedded in the earth. Iruka gathered Naruto into his arms and held the child to his chest like a grieving mother.

"Oh gods, oh gods what's wrong with me." He whimpered.

Naruto woke slowly in Iruka's arms, he looked puzzled but smiled. "Iruka-Sensei, I'm okay, you don't have to worry."

Iruka smiled shakily. "I know. I just. I got scared." He admitted blushing.

"Silly Nii." whispered Naruto sleepily.

"Yes, very silly, I'm such a silly person lately. I just wanted to make sure you were all right. Do you mind if I hold you a little longer?"

Naruto hugged Iruka and shook his head. "Hug me however long you want to Nii-sama. Just don't let Sasuke know, I don't want him to think I'm too much of a baby. You do know, Nii-sama I'm going to be a big boy someday, right?"

"Yeah, I know Naruto." said Iruka, laughing a tiny little laugh with a trembly near irresistible smile. "You're growing up too fast. Soon you'll be too big for any kind of hugs at all."

"Naw, hugs are good." Assured Naruto. "Your hugs are the best. Like Ramen!" He grinned happily and fell quickly to sleep again.

The fire died very abruptly making Kakashi raise a questioning eyebrow. Had the monster been surfacing in Iruka again? How had Naruto's actions caused the monster to submerge and leave them alone?

Kakashi watched Iruka hold onto Naruto throughout the rest of the night. Iruka was wide awake and rocking. He was singing some sort of lullaby about a school of fish and birds in flight, holding his child close to his breast, maybe it was Naruto's destiny to save Iruka.

Kakashi wasn't happy about that thought and then he wasn't happy about not being happy about that thought. He didn't want to be another Mizuki. He shouldn't be jealous of a child or of a parent's love for their child.

His attention was briefly caught by a red sharingan eye peaking out from under camouflage covers. Sasuke? Had Sasuke witnessed everything? Mentor and pupil shared a significant glance before each took up guarding the sleep of their companions. Sasuke in his bed pretending sleep and Kakashi awake and watching both Iruka and the night for any signs of danger.

When morning came he made sure that they quickened their pace. He hoped being at their destination and that being in a town might help settle Iruka, balance him a little. Sasuke seemed to know as he looked at Iruka who still hadn't let go of the protesting Naruto.

"I can't help being clingy!" cried Iruka in full on charade mode. "I'm your mother, you're my little baby boy, and soon you're going to be all grown up but before that happens I'm going to smother you in your mother's love." Iruka smirked evily.

"No fair!" protested Naruto. "I don't want to be the baby any more! I'm a big boy dammit, even if I am short!"

"Whoohoohoo! Looks like someone's getting their mouth washed out with soap!" said Kakashi just a little bit too happy as Iruka's look of doom was cast on Naruto for his usage of foul language. Then it was his turn to receive the look of doom and he stumbled ungracefully over a rock that happened to trip him in his path.

No doubt sent his way by the Uchiha brat who happened to be looking rather smug this morning though when didn't the little bastard look smug was a good question to ask but Kakashi was pretty sure it was from Sasuke or if not Sasuke then Todachi who was giving him the evil eye.

Damn Nin-mutt! I'm supposed to be master here! How dare you try to make me look bad in front of my Iruka-koi!

He shot a glare at both the brat and his dog. Both of them had the nerve to roll their eyes at Kakashi.

Iruka gave him a suspicious look. "Stop glaring at your son! What kind of example of love and fatherhood are you trying to create here?"

Kakashi lowered his head in what looked like shame but his eye showed something of the conniving nature that he had. Iruka scowled. Kakashi shivered. Iruka' shrew like behavior could be a major turn on. I'm so naughty Sensei, he drooled, punish me, punish me, I'm a bad bad boy. A moment to day dream of himself in a school uniform and Iruka looking stern in all professor like, a big paddle swinging in for a spanking, oooh. Kakashi had to wipe the drool away.

Iruka scowled. He could read the man's expression like an open book full of smutty pictures and pervy porn stories. He's sexually harassing me again!

"Get that look out of your eye," roared and irked Iruka.

Kakashi scowled at Sasuke, he blamed Sasuke for Iruka's mood.

"And you can get that expression out of your eye as well! That's your son you're calculating to kill." Roared Iruka, ready to pommel Kakashi if he so much as dared lay a single finger on Sasuke's head.

"Yes, dear." He answered wisely and kept his face in poker mask.

"You better practice in a mirror Kashi-sama. I don't think you quite realize how much your mask hides and now that you don't wear one, you're easily read like a page in a book." Iruka's voice was cool and slowly decreasing to subzero degrees of chill.

"Yes, dear." This time Iruka was satisfied. Kakashi looked chastised and even sounded truly repentant.

Iruka sniffed. Head held high then he walked passed Kakashi, Todachi and Sasuke and Sakura right beside him. Todachi looked back over his massive shoulder and smiled his wicked doggy smile, massive jaws open in a panting way, teeth just slightly bared, his eyes dancing with amusement.

The dog seemed to be saying. "Loser, Iruka likes us a lot better than he likes you, beta boy."

Kakashi scowled darkly at his ninja summons. I never thought Todachi would be such a pain he has a worse attitude than even Pakkun but soon that can and will be changed. Todachi was in for a lesson in who was Alpha Dog here.

Disrespecting me, Dog, big mistake.

Arriving in their new village they received a reserved reception. The realtor escorted them to their hovel of a house. Iruka smiled weakly. "It's a work in progress. Once we both start our jobs I'm sure we can turn this house into a warm cottage in no time."

The kids didn't look too reassured.

The house was small, the rooms crowded but it was a good little cottage, filled with so much potential and soon it would be filled with love to.

Kakashi helped Iruka to bed and lay down beside him. Starting tomorrow the children would need to start referring to Iruka as "Mom" or "Mother" or "Ma" inside the house as well as outside of it to keep the charade from being seen through. The perfect charade was to stay in character throughout the whole assignment even in privacy. They needed to think and react to Iruka as mom and Kakashi as dad. Their disrespect was natural and couldn't be faked. Iruka's embarrassment over their ill manners was perfect as well.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Just a quick thank you to all who have reviewed. ****Thank You ALL**** so ****very, very, much for your kind reviews****. I sincerely appreciate it. Jazzy**

kirallie, Kittendragon, SongoftheDarquePhoenix, Kitsune's Dark Shadow,

Yaoi Emo Kitsune, When love and death embrace, SongoftheDarquePhoenix,

Tsuki no Kurai, Princess Lena aka Lady Kitt..., UchihaUzumaki baby, Zaika-Purr

**Warning: some more dark moments, another MizuIruka non-con moment (MizuMonster scene) Have edited for language and tried to tame down some of the more violent moments and the non-con moment. The more adult version will be posted at my site eventually.**

**Now on to our Story:**

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Iruka was happily trying to make the cottage they now owned somewhat habitable. Sakura was a great help in this respect pointing out colors schemes and themes for the curtains and small bits of furnishings they were steadily collecting. Iruka put the boys to hard labor scrubbing the walls and floors while he and Sakura went into town to purchase the yards of cloth they would need to make drapes curtains and tapestry for the walls. The cottage was drafty, with tapestries and drapes they might be able to cut down on the chill.

The fire country was a warm place to live rarely snowed, rarely rained, perfect temperatures all year round. However their new home was cold and had temperatures that changed from day to day.

The winter months were settling in. Iruka had a feeling that snow came down in the yardage here. They could get snowed in. He had a fear of freezing to death, of being trapped in ice and snow, thanks mostly to his weird dreams of late. Anxiety ate away at his stomach and Iruka hoped their mission would end sometime before the New Year and before the snow came down in drifts.

Sasuke looked to Kakashi leaving Naruto inside to scrub. He wanted to discuss some things with their team leader.

"Why haven't we turned back?" asked Sasuke. "Okasan is not up to this." Unspoken but understood between the lines. (Iruka is not well. We both know this mission should have been terminated the minute his instability became noted.)

Kakashi paused to digest what Sasuke was saying. He wondered how to say whatneeded saying in words that would not be taken wrongly by anyone who may or may not be listening for ninja on a mission.

"How can I explain to her relatives that I let her down again, especially Obaa-chan?" (Tsunade would not appreciate our failure, nor would Iruka appreciate being the reason behind our failure.)

"Your mother is stronger than you can ever realize, Tsubaru. This weakness will pass." (Iruka will not fail.)

"And if you're wrong and she gets worse?" (How can you believe he will not fail? He's mental. We cannot trust him.)

"If she gets worse I will see to her health and send her away to a place where she can get well." (If he gets worse I will end the mission and if I must I will end Iruka's life.)

"Your mother wants this to work. We have needed a new start for a long time." (this mission is too important to the future of Konoha to end it prematurely. Iruka knows what is at stake. We need this mission to succeed. Trust Iruka to be strong, his heart will be strong enough to resist the temptations of the monster inside of him, I have faith in him.)

"To put your mother in a hospital would shame her to no end." (If we turn back and go home and put him in a hospital his reputation will be ruined. His reason for existing will cease. He loves his job as a teacher. He loves Konoha. Iruka dislikes failure as much as I do. Iruka will not fail.)

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. His mouth thinned into an unhappy frown. (Fool.) "Okasan's health is very fragile, Otousan. Pride is not a good enough reason not to get her some professional help." (Mental illness is nothing to be messing around with. Being mentally ill by definition means you have no control over what you will do. Having no control means this mission is in jeopardy. Iruka should be put in a hospital as soon as possible for the good of everyone.)

"I have faith in your Okasan. She will be well soon. People may show us some kindness and understanding which may help her even more so to be well again. Once the stress evens out I have no doubts that all will be well." Kakashi insisted stubbornly. (I believe the chunin will pull through. And if not, I will do everything in my power to take care of Iruka and make this mission a success. Having an ill spouse might just trigger events in the right direction.)

Sasuke would have argued further but then Naruto came out to check on them. Screaming. "SLACKERS! I'm working my butte off for Okasan and here you jerks are taking a break and leaving me hanging. I aint scrubbing my fingers to the bones alone! Get back to work!"

"Is that any way to speak to your Onisan and Otousan?" Asked Kakashi pretending to be scandalized.

Naruto showed them his throbbing hands with tears glistening in his eyes.

"You're such a cry baby Kagetera." Hissed Sasuke, rolling his eyes at Naruto's kicked puppy face.

"Am not!" roared Naruto. "I'm working very hard and you haven't even touched the scrub brush in like twenty minutes." He accused.

"Fine, take a breather." Said Kakashi. "Kagetera has a point. Get to work Sasuke. I have lots of weeding to do before your Okasan and sister show up, back from their shopping trip in town."

LATER

Iruka sighed weighed down with bolts and bolts of cloth. There had been a huge deal at the fabric shop he hadn't been able to resist. New kimonos, new coats, new curtains and drapes and tapestries to make. He was in creative heaven. Lots of needles and thread to sew squares and squares of cloths into quilts for his kids. Sakura had a basket full of silk flowers and some wind chimes. They also had a cart full of food, being pulled by the large ninja dog, to last the next couple of weeks until both he and Kakashi went back to work to earn more money for more groceries and to pay the rent that would be due next month. They were now penniless but Iruka felt very satisfied with his shopping endeavor. He'd gotten a lot for his dollars.

With help from Sakura and even Naruto Iruka put his speed as a ninja to the test. Tapestries and drapes were up and ready for use within a few hours. Candles were lit and the fireplace was stoked with wood and flame, making the cottage warm and cozy.

Silk flowers adorned the ends of the drape polls. A wreath decorated the door. Wind chimes in two windows and one hanging outside. They managed to make two quilts instead of five, Naruto stabbed his abused fingers several times while Sakura laughed and Iruka soothed him with little kisses to the injured digits, making their quilter's circle a slow machine.

"I guess tonight we will all share the one bed and the two quilts." Said Iruka. "I don't want any of us to freeze tonight."

Sakura drooled with her own perverted visions of herself and Sasuke running wild in her head. Naruto frowned as if he could read her mind.

"Okaasan said All of us Kagome." Reiterated Naruto for his daydreaming team mate.

Kakashi frowned as well, his alone-time with Iruka gone like smoke. Todachi usually slept with the kids so now he'd have a giant dog suffocating him along with six tiny feet kicking him in the sides and shins if he so much as twitched.

"Now Rukia, Darling, that doesn't seem fair to me." Whined Kakashi. "The bed is way too small for so many.

"Kashino-sama, we all will be sleeping on the floor on our sleeping bags, piles together to make a huge bed so that we all can sleep well and stay warm through the night and that is final." The house was after all the wife's domain and her word was always final law.

Drat!!

That night luckily Iruka seemed not to be attacked by the monster within. Kakashi and Sasuke slept lightly waiting for any sign of distress or troubles like the many nights before on their journey here. But Iruka seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Naruto was using Iruka like a mattress. Iruka's arms were locked around the young boy asleep on his back while Naruto slept spread out on his tummy on Iruka's torso. Todachi was asleep at Iruka's side keeping the chunin warm from head to foot. Todachi was a giant stretchy dog. Sasuke slept in the middle reluctantly allowing Sakura to sleep next to him andbeing glomped through the night, though he in turn kept most of his body hugging Iruka's other side. Kakashi scowled.

He was practically being kicked out of the bed. His side was cold, his butte was practically hanging outside the covers. He had to stay fully dressed because no one trusted him to stay good with only his shorts on. He had a long uncomfortable night. He resented the kids and all of their contended little smiles, especially Sasuke's evil superiority smirk and Todachi's fawning contended smile. Oh yeah, Kakashi felt the love alright. Sarcasm. He glared at all the little obstacles that slept between him and the object of his infatuation.

LATER

As the Days flew by getting the cottage up to par and searching for a job of any kind to support their little family Kakashi was happy that the mission seemed to be progressing so well. Kakashi was really stepping up to the plate to take care of Iruka and the kids. He had insisted that Iruka stay home to rest.

"Don't worry about the money."

"We don't have any money to worry about Kakashi. We both need to find a job and quickly. Rent is due in a week." Growled the agitated chunin.

"I said I'd take care of everything Rukia-koi, a mother should be home with her kids. Besides your … health hasn't been good lately. You need to rest."

Iruka glared at him. "I'm fine. There's nothing wrong with me." He denied heatedly, blushing, lying.

Kakashi's eye looked on him compassionately his face told Iruka all he needed to know. Kakashi knew better.

There had been days when Iruka had been a monster towards the kids. Hours where the kids found the doors locked and the windows too to keep them outside and away from him when he was under siege by the monster. The kids took those times to go practice their hiding techniques and ninja skills. Of course there had been a few moments when he'd been close to killing them, the kids had good instincts and even better defensive moves but usually it was Todachi and Naruto who would calm Iruka's monster down.

"I'm trying." Iruka finally conceded near tears.

"I know you are, my Ruka. Just please trust me. I can find a job I will take care of you and the kids. You need to rest. The more rest you have the more calm you will be. If you're calm perhaps your mind will calm as well."

It was a rare moment between them and Kakashi held Iruka firmly to his body glad for the peace, glad Iruka was letting him hold him for the moment.

Kakashi looked like a desperate man willing to do any job, anything to take care of his family. (Which was of course not very far off from the truth, Kakashi would do anything and has done anything to keep Konoha and its residence safe)

It wasn't long before the local gang took notice of the down and outs man visiting their seedy businesses. Over a couple of days and through many tests Kakashi fed them his phony stories mixed with the true ones about his wife and the reasons they had come to this town to start a new life.

Kakashi soon proved his loyalty and was welcomed into the gang. Kakashi smiled satisfaction with a job well on its way to getting done.

Iruka had days and days when he didn't take care of himself. Days and days when all he did was curl up in bed and sleep for hours and hours, turning and tossing in his nightmare induced sleep. Naruto wasn't always as dense as people and his teammates believed he was. He knew something was going on with Iruka-Nii, and he was very worried. He'd seen something like this once before a long time ago when they had lived with Mizuki, or rather when Iruka had lived with Mizuki and Naruto had been hiding in the cupboards living with Iruka in secret from Mizuki.

Iruka would sometimes look different as he haunted the house at night waiting for Mizuki to return home from some mission or a night out with friends. At the time Naruto thought it was unfair (and still did) that Mizuki had gotten to go do things while Iruka wasn't allowed to leave the house at all. Kind of like now. Only Kakashi was doing it for completely different and real true reason to help Iruka's health.

But Naruto had to wonder if maybe being copped up wasn't in itself one reason why Iruka was spiraling downward in his mental and emotional well being.

Iruka had a lot of time to think on things, maybe too much time. Iruka brooded and worried. Iruka had time to remember his time with Mizuki. Which Naruto knew was a bad thing.

His memories of his time with Mizuki kept hitting him hard. Why couldn't he repress these images, these feelings, these memories?

Why were they taking over his life now of all times to have a break down? If he was a danger to the mission he knew Kakashi would have no choice, he'd either send Iruka back in disgrace or put an end to Iruka's life. Iruka was willing to die for Konoha if it meant this mission's success. However he did not want Kakashi to have to kill him. He knew Kakashi felt strong emotions for him, that weren't all pretend.

Two months and more constantly sharing of space and conversation built a bond between them. It helped cement them into a family. In some ways Iruka was very happy and content with how his life was going. He could almost lose himself in the roles they were playing for the mission. He really did feel very happy except when nightmarish dreams and hellish memories came to call.

Memory

Mizuki, has abused Iruka his spouse for several years, for little reasons, and managed to make Iruka feel so much shame but his heart is still such a good pure thing. He finds a reason to go on living, for his students, for Mizuki because he believes if he tries hard enough he will eventually recapture Mizuki's heart

"Why do you make me do this to you?" screamed Mizuki. As he slams his fist once more into Iruka's stomach and then into his face.

"This is all _your_ fault. If you only listened to me." he growled. Frustrated. "This is your fault. You wanted it this way." accused Mizuki. Iruka's clothes tear so easily. The knife marks his skin so pleasingly as well. Mizuki loves the blood his Iruka-koi bleeds.

End memory

Brooding

Iruka realized it even back then he had known his blood was what seemed to make Mizuki happiest. Iruka had sometimes provoked such beatings just to make Mizuki happy with him. Iruka knew it had been sick. The relationship he had with Mizuki had grown twisted and sickened over the years but he had made Mizuki his world. Mizuki was supposed to always be first in his world those were the rules and Iruka had lived up to his part of those rules but Mizuki hadn't lived up to his.

End brooding.

Iruka had days where he didn't seem to know them. He had days where he refused to let them out of the house he acted afraid to let them out of his sight. Then there were times when he seemed extremely angry with them and he would try to hurt them but Kakashi would always intercept him and talk to him, calm him, force his mind back in to its usual good sense. Or Naruto would somehow calm him.

It had to be a jutsu of some sort that was affecting Iruka. But from whom and from where had it come and been cast by? Kakashi was not pleased that this jutsu seemed to have a life of its own and was so deeply combined with Iruaks. Kakashi seemed helpless to prevent his little chunin from suffering from the torment that such a jutsu was putting Iruka through.

Iuka would be remorseful and weepy after one of his frightening episodes.

There were days when the children would dress her or fix her hair, make her smile. They loved gentle Iruka.

Sakura and Sasuke were as concerned as Naruto even though they had no clue to the extent of Iruka's damage. But Naruto did. He tried hard to keep Iruka from brooding over long or remembering his terrible time before with Mizuki.

Naruto amazingly enough would always initiate the brushing of Iruka's hair or trying to make her something to eat.

"Ramen, Mommy, I can make you Ramen, would you like some Ramen?" he would ask, and bounce around the kitchen in Iruka's pink apron. Iruka would smile.

Sasuke would scowl alongside of Sakura. Sakura growled and swept her way into the kitchen. "You can't make Ramen all the time!" she roared. "We need food, real food! Food like chicken katsu, or beef stew and corn bread, or stir fry! Here idiot get out of my way, I'm going to make Mother a real breakfast. Oatmeal and turkey sausage."

Sasuke would go through Iruka's closet and find a kimono for Iruka to wear. Naruto would brush Iruka's hair and try to put it up into a pretty eye catching thing but it always ended up with Uchiha styling the hair and putting the hair sticks and flowing vine of flowers in. He would even touch up Iruka's eyes with light eyeliner and light mascara. Iruka looked very feminine but was still not as pretty as most women. Iruka sensei was an unfortunately plain man, but when his heart was full he glowed and it made him very beautiful. Of course when Iruka was deadly that too made him unnaturally breathtaking as well.

Tormented Iruka was a scary person but as time passed the ill Iruka seemed to stabilize, though not perfectly. There were still bad days but more good ones seemed to show up more often and Sasuke would take Kakashi aside and again question his leader's decision to continue with the mission. This added to Kakashi's stress and he finally lost his temper with Sasuke. They fought.

Sasuke glared at Kakashi. "You're letting your personal feelings get in the way. What will it take? One of our deaths?"

"He's Iruka, he will not kill you! He doesn't have it in him to kill you. You're his kids, he'd die first before laying a hand on you."

"Would he? Look at us when he's had a bad episode Kakashi-Sensei. See the bruises he's left behind?"

Kakashi's eye widened in shock at the bruise he saw on Sasuke's arm. He felt sick. There was no way that Iruka would do that to Sasuke, no way! Not his gentle Iruka. Kakashi looked to Todachi as if asking the dog to tell him differently. Todachi had taken the kick aimed for the kid.

He'd protected the kids from Iruka's more violent moments but he hadn't always been able to protect them all. He'd snarled and tackled Iruka to the ground during that one time until the smell of Iruka's scent had changed back from winter and smoke to warm earth and musk of comforting spring.

Kakashi watched Todachi's ears and eyes and the way the dog twitched. He closed his eye as if in pain. He hugged his body and let his head hang down.

"I'm sorry Sasuke."

"Iruka has already apologized. He's tormented Sensei. He needs help."

"And we need to remember the mission, Tsubaru." Insisted Kakashi finally calm enough to remember to call Sasuke by his mission given identity.

Sasuke glared at his sensei ready to fight some more. Kakashi glared right back, sharingan to sharingan, finally putting Sasuke in his place. Kakashi demanded. "Do not question me any more Tsubaru. Know your place!" he roared. "I'm Otousan, Father, which makes me the leader here. Rukia-sama will stabilize just have some patience. Your Okasan just needs to rest. Give her peace and I'm sure she will be fine."

Sasuke just shook his head. How much denial was Kakashi willing to live in?

He had no choice but to concede defeat. "Yes, Father, as you command." He said, with just enough hints of contempt to make it known to Kakashi that his own patience was coming to an end and he'd do something soon if Kakashi wouldn't.

"I am Otousan." Kakashi growled. "Do not defy me."

Todachi managed to whine even whimper, that tone of voice chilled the nin-kin to the bone. That was the old Alpha tone that Kakashi hasn't used in a long time. The one that promised swift and painful retribution.

Sasuke stalked off while Kakashi stood in his place death glare in his eyes, menace emanating from every pore of his being. Todachi whimpered cringing and finally Kakashi wrapped his arms around Todachi with a sigh.

"That kid tests my patience. Being a Dad is hard work."

Todachi kissed his cheek giving comfort to the stressed x-anbu ninja.

LATER

Iruka stayed in bed eyes gazing out of crimson with gold leaves embroidered curtains into a land of gently coming winter. His dark eyes were glazed with remembering.

Another Memory

"Why do you do this to yourself?" Mizuki groaned taking a moment to clench a hand around the bulge in his pants. There was nothing as arousing as this. Nothing. He'd had sex earlier but it didn't do much for him, not even when he'd made her bleed.

Iruka could smell the female on him, Iruka gagged as Mizuki thrust into his unwilling but open mouth. Mizuki was in a frenzy. He needed to come and the fastest way had always been in Iruka's mouth.

Mizuki had been very frustrated with the female he'd tried to have sex with earlier but nothing had made him cum, nothing. Not her tits, not her ass, not her mouth, nothing, she had been wet and willing and still it had done nothing for him on this particular day. After a great deal of frustration Mizuki had beaten her into unconsciousness then left to go home to his wife. He had known that only Iruka could satisfy him this night.

He had known when he'd been unable to cum that only Iruka would do. Only Iruka, his sweet gentle Iruka-koi, with eyes cast to the heavens with dreams Mizuki loved to watch shatter and burn to ashes around Iruka with a cruel word or a fist here and there.

No one looked so good as Iruka when they were being abused or looked so damned sexy when they had that look of stunned betrayal on their faces. No one could get him off so fast or so good as Iruka spread out and eager for him.

"If you only cooperated a little. If you stopped being such a tease. You never, never, never withhold your body from me, Iruka, never" he growled and continued to his orgasm down Iruka's throat.

Moments later Mizuki was ready for round two. Iruka was sore and felt sick he tried to hide in the corner tried to make himself as small as he possibly could to hide from Mizuki's hungry glittery eyes.

He whimpered as Mizuki grabbed him by his hair. The cold whispered through him and another being took over for him. It met their lover with eager joy. It loved the pain. It loved how brutal Mizuki was. It adored Mizuki.

Mizuki didn't notice the change in Iruka not with Iruka positioned on his stomach hips angled up at the perfect angle for a good hard fuck.

"Such a good tight." He panted as he slid into the less than prepared opening. He bit Iruka's lower back in appreciation, leaving wet bruising good sized hickeys up and down Iruka's spine and shoulders, sometimes biting deep enough to break the skin.

"I love you so much, Baby." He groaned.

The monster shivered and eagerly met the powerful dominant thrusts letting out a keening wail of pleasure as Mizuki kept hitting that deeply hidden place inside with every hard long thrust of his thick long dick. There was no one like Mizuki, no one that ever touched them so good.

"If you would just spread your legs for me more often I wouldn't have to go out and let some whore have her way with me or some hustler bend over and take it." he groaned and thrust in, feeling the tight inner walls squeeze him encouragingly. "Your body tells me all that I need to hear, Ruka. Do you feel it baby?"

"Yes, Mizu-koi, yes, yes." Groaned the monster, in near ecstasy.

"Do you feel how your tight, just, uh, fuck its so good. you're so good. You're made for this baby. Do you feel it? Do you feel how much you love this?" Mizuki grunted and groaned, moaning his pleasure until it built into screams of his pleasure and pounded into Iruka's body as a beast would in heated frenzied need.

The monster screamed with him. Screamed eagerly for "more" and "Fuck me, Mizu-koi, fuck me, keep fucking me" he begged, "harder, oh harder" and "Yes, oh Mizu-sama, yes, oh yes."

Iruka woke from his black out sore and bruised barely able to walk let alone make it to the mission's room. He suspected Mizuki had had a wonderful time while he'd been knocked unconscious. But at the time he hadn't minded because he'd given Mizuki joy. Maybe Mizuki would touch him gently tonight. He hoped.

Mizuki used to do that. Mizuki used to beat him up then make a fuss over him for a few days sometimes depending on how bad the beating it would be for weeks that Mizuki would be on his best behavior treating Iruka like a precious object. He clean Iruka and pamper him. It almost made it worth getting the beating for the way Mizuki would treat him afterward but over time Mizuki just didn't seem to care like he used to. He didn't even bother to apologize these days.

The other ninja noticed the sadness in Iruka's eyes. They noticed the jutsu hiding the bruises form them but no one crossed the unstated line to ask Iruka why he was hiding something from them. Why was he sad and for those that could see beneath the jutsu their eyes showed pain and anger on Iruka's behalf but no one asked him how or why or what. But perhaps they had known that Iruka had not yet been ready to face the reality of his situation.

End Memory

Another happier memory

Iruka had watched stunned as Kakashi takes great pleasure in arresting Mizuki for attempted murder of a fellow shinobi and a child the future of the village. He also uses the sharingan eye to give Mizuki a look into the true damages he's done to Iruka over the years. The illusion is perfect and really breaks through to Mizuki how evil he has been.

For Iruka it was a true justice. He had never been able to lift a finger against Mizuki no matter how often or how many times Mizuki had brought him close to death. Iruka has learned that though he can and still does love and forgive Mizuki he cannot allow himself to go back to that empty existence and twisted dark version of love.

End memory.

Naruto looked at Iruka's still from with growing concern. Today was not going to be a good day. He could feel it. He wasn't sure what he could do to break up the clouds around Iruka or how to keep him from raging today.

Naruto knew of the monster's existence. He had confronted the monster once, or rather Kyuubi had. Iruka and he had been settling in to a small apartment, just the two of them. Things had been good. Iruka had some sleepless nights. Iruka had moments when he jumped at shadows and at noises only Iruka could seem to hear. Naruto remembered being puzzled by these things that Iruka suffered through. Naruto had tried to cheer up his guardian had tried to make Iruka happy. But it was a long time before Iruka seemed to get happy.

But it only seemed to come about not long after the one night when Naruto had awakened from his dreams feeling a chill evade his room. He saw the strange other that was apart of Iruka, eyes blazing in chilled hate. His room seemed to be coated in ice. He shivered afraid and freezing.

The monster smiled cruelly at him and tried to kill him. Naruto didn't remember very much just a loud obnoxious masculine voice deeper than either Iruka or the other's. It was laughing. Fire blazed throughout the room defrosting the ice. Monster and monster clashed powerfully, chakra against chakra battle auras blazing and the 9-tail came out on top, the other monster was made agree to an understanding. The 9-tail Fox would not allow the monster to kill its vessel.

"If you attack us again, we will burn you watersylph, burn you and your human self to ashes. I am far older and stronger than you are and so you know I can and will do as I say I will."

The monster did not bother Naruto again though not to say that it didn't still come out to play every now and again. Iruka never seemed to remember when the monster came out. Naruto tried to pretend that the monster didn't exist because he never wanted to think that such an evil entity could possibly live inside of the kind and ever loving Iruka.

Kyuubi looked out of Naruto's eyes and watched the monster struggle within Iruka. Iruka was losing the battle again. Kyuubi growled low. Red chakra flared up around Naruto. Sasuke's eyes widened his only reaction of shock. Sakura froze completely jaw dropped in horror. She could feel the monstrous force that was reaching out to stifle them. She thought about screaming or going for help but she found she could not move. It was as if Shikamaru was shadow jutsuing her.

Iruka shivered his eyes came to focus on Naruto, on the Kyuubi at the moment in charge of Naruto's body.

"Hello Iruka Sensei. Go to sleep for a moment will you?" asked Kyuubi with a smile so fake it made Iruka's teeth ache. But he felt his body compulsively give in to Kyuubi's command and he fell fast asleep.

"WaterSylph, listen to me and listen well. Nearly two years ago we came to a… truce of sorts… I'm here to tell you if you don't stick to our bargain, I'm going to fry your ass right now. Your host is not of age yet and is not nearly powerful enough for you. When he's of age you will take control of him and do as you please, that's fine by me, but put my kit in danger like you are doing now and I cannot stand back and let you do that. I'm here to fry you WaterSylph. Come out and lets battle. Its time you remembered who the more powerful demon is here. And that's me." Growled Kyubbi.

Ice and Fire clashed and fire for the moment won. Iruka seemed to stabilize after that. Naruto's teammates weren't sure what to make of the knowledge they now had of their two friends. But for the moment life seemed to be going good.

Kakashi was now being initiated into the gang he'd been trying the last three weeks to infiltrate.

Yes, things were starting to come together and go their way.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Ch5 was indeed a tough chapter as was ch4, to write. This story keeps getting interesting for me as well. I feel like I'm on a road trip I don't know where it's all headed!**

**I'm not sure that I quite liked how ch5 turned out. There were parts I very much enjoyed. **

**I wanted to add a more NaruSasuke bent in ch5 but it just didn't quite happen. But also at this time in their lives they really are too young to get into anything too heavy at present. But I hope to have them hold hands or something. Go on a secret date or something, maybe, eventually. **

**I hope to put a SasuNaru element in this chapter as well as some Christmas themes. ******** Yes, I've been infected with the Holiday Bug.**

**Ah Yes, the Holidays, Gotta Love the Holidays! ******

**Happy Holidays to One and All.**

**Sincerely,**

**Jazzy**

**Chapter Six**

Kakashi takes on the responsibility in providing Iruka and their Family a living, by taking Iruka's job and his own night job. It was easy to find the low lives. It was almost laughable how quickly he rose up through their ranks but then again these people were not ninja trained they were just street toughs.

Kakashi was gangster by night and substitute sensei by day. Iruka was recovering but frail and could not be trusted outside the house until he was well.

Kakashi assimilated into the low end and seedier parts of town without trouble. He made a name for himself in no time. He was a fair and just criminal. When people figured out who he was he warned them not to tell his wife or he'd kill them. They feared and respected and revered him. He took great pleasure in giving such threats. His sick humor endeared him to the crime boss as well.

Meanwhile Kakashi worried for Iruka's health it seemed to be stabilizing somewhat but there were still risky nights and some few days where the kids were giving Iruka wary looks. But those days seemed to be numbered and far and few between recently. Kakashi figured he'd been right all along and Iruka had just needed to rest.

Iruka was doing much better now. He was energized and ready to take his place as teacher in the school letting Kakashi become full time criminal in the process and very soon the left hand man to the boss. Meaning he was a third lieutenant, an Ojo.

**SASUKE**

Sasuke had not realized how powerful the dobe could be. He was not sure if he was happy that he'd been fooled all this time or to be ecstatic that he wasn't falling in love with a lesser ninja. The dobe was a goofball and a serious embarrassment at times but his loyalty could never be questioned.

A vision of Naruto entered his head momentarily side tracking him from his troubling thoughts.

Naruto's eyes sparkled so brightly with so much love and life that it was hard to turn away from his gaze. Naruto smelled like sweet grass and honeysuckle and of course that wretched food he adored so, ramen. Sasuke sighed. Ramen had become a familiar scent and now a comforting one. It made him think of warm things and cuddling up to Naruto in their odd moments alone.

Sasuke knew he was much too young to be making a life long commitment but when he took the time and actually daydreamed (which of course was very rarely). He couldn't picture his life without the dobe in it. He knew if he went with this choice he would probably never restore the Uchiha clan, he could never have children with sharingan. The Uchiha would die out and fade even from memory in time if he chose the dobe.

His heart clenched. Naruto's grin was infectious. It was warm like the sun. His messy hair was amazingly soft when he had the chance to run his fingers through it and surprisingly his fingers never got tangled in the mess. Big blue eyes that were warm yet dull with idiocy at times but always alight with laughter and compassion.

Naruto was not bright nor a genius by anyone's accounts except maybe by Iruka's and the dobe's own reckoning. Yet at the same time Sasuke had to bite the bitter pill and admit that Naruto was once again something more than he seemed.

Naruto had done something, had control over the kyuubi within him, and used that power to control Iruka's power.

He felt like a fool and was not happy to think himself one. Yet hadn't Kakashi often spoken the words "Look underneath the underneath"? What had Sasuke done but never looked. Naruto was not easily categorized and every time Sasuke did categorize him he was surprised to find the Dobe was not again what he seemed.

Sakura was not happy to be wrong yet again. Naruto could shake anyone's confidence. Sasuke had always been fawned over and pampered but Naruto had known hardships, had been rejected and abused by the village had been taken in by Iruka Umino Sensei but from what information gathering Sasuke had done on finding out who his teammates were he had stumbled across the secrets of Iruka-Sensei, Mizuki-sensei, and Naruto. It was yet another tragedy.

Iruka was kindness and weakness. Mizuki had known this and had done all that he could to control and break Iruka-sensei, whether to make him stronger or just for the power it afforded Mizuki to have control over another's life Sasuke still wasn't too sure on the matter. He knew that Mizuki had done unforgivable things to both Naruto and Iruka. Sasuke knew that if Iruka had been stronger Mizuki never would have controlled him and yet he had to remember just a few months ago Iruka had flattened Kakashi, not an easy thing to accomplish. If it had been then Sasuke would have accomplished it a year ago.

Sasuke could feel a headache throbbing at his temples. Iruka like Naruto was a conundrum. He was more than he seemed. Iruka was as much a puzzle as Naruto. He had power they both had power but both seemed reluctant to use it. They both seemed so weak and yet in their own way they were each very strong, not in power so much as in personal moral integrity. They would use their power only to defend others but so rarely to defend themselves. They were each a giver. They gave too much of themselves to others. Iruka was drained because he gave so much to so many.

Sasuke loved Naruto he wanted to keep him safe from people like Mizuki and people like himself. Sasuke was cold inside, ruthless. When Itachi had murdered his family it had also murdered something inside of Sasuke. For Sasuke to love it was a very hard thing to do. He had to reach past the thick scars and the cold chill in his heart but when Naruto looked at him, when Naruto put his tiny little arms around him Sasuke felt strange. He felt both vulnerable and immortal. He felt so many conflicting things, things that made him weak yet strong.

He tried to picture Naruto dead and when he finally managed it, it felt like his heart had been ripped out. He thought maybe he should try to push Naruto away try to make the affects the Dobe had on him minimal but it felt worse like he was dying even more slowly besides Naruto like Sakura in his own way would not be pushed easily aside. Naruto was tenacious. Sasuke suspected it would take death and more than death for Naruto to let go of Sasuke.

"Stupid Dobe." He growled. "I'm supposed to be the strong one. Not you. I'm supposed to be the genius, the strong one, why do I feel so weak? How do you do these things to me? How are you so strong and I suddenly feel so much less than you?"

"It sounds like Mizuki complex to me." Said Kakashi, pervert book in hand.

Sasuke gasped felt his heart squeeze off and then he plummeted to the ground below out of his private thoughts and quiet tree limb.

"Damn you Otousan!" he roared as he managed to land on his feet in fighting stance the shock evaporating with the gentle touchdown of chakra infused landing.

"Stop thinking of yourself Tsubaru. If you can do that than you can live to be greatness. Stop pondering Naruto and Iruka, just trust them alright. Gotta get back, my crime friends are waiting." Kakashi turned the page of his latest autographed IchaIcha Violence Paradise Happily Ever After, the actual last book in the spanning forty something volumes of porn and violence. Kakashi would mourn the loss later, but Jiraiya Sama had promised a new series to be even greater and better than IchaIcha.

Kakashi disappeared with a poof of smoke.

Sasuke glowered at the place where Kakashi had been. His thoughts for the time being derailed. How was he to trust? They were Ninja, they should trust no one. Yet Kakashi implicitly trusted Iruka. Kakashi kept telling his team to trust one another. "If you cannot trust your team then you will not make it to Chunin. Teamwork is essential. Jounin then ANBU work both alone and in teams. When you are this level you must trust your team but also keep an eye out in case one of them goes bad. It's just the way of the business."

SAKURA

Sakura was as shaken as Sasuke. She was afraid of Naruto and afraid of Iruka. Yet Iruka and Naruto were now acting so normal. Iruka was warmth and kindness gentle and stable again. He was trying to get them to trust him again. He was trying to pass everything off as some sort of strange illness that was now past. But Sakura knew better. She was medic in training or would eventually be so. Whatever was wrong with Iruka sensei it wasn't the norm. It wasn't illness. It was something she had no concept on how to even name it. If she couldn't name it or analyze it or make it something she could face how was she to interact with him? How was she to deal with him? With it?

She couldn't just pretend it never happened.

Could she?

Her mind was trapped reliving the moment over and over again. She was unable to move. Red chakra flared around the room. Iruka's chakra flared as well only it wasn't green or soothing it was black, it was light silver blue, it was ice. Ice. The red was flame and it flared ever more hotly. Iruka's eyes were covered in ice, his face thinner, pale, his feature subtly shifted to something alien and cruel. Its killing intent crawled over their skin like the ice it seemed to exude.

She whimpered as fear drove itself into her heart. Yet she was a shinobi, a genin training to become a greater ninja. She could not allow for fear. Yet… she felt tears come to her eyes, how could she not fear?

Iruka and Naruto were monsters.

Todachi whimpered and curled around the frightened girl. Todachi had become quite the little nanny. He licked her cheeks and rubbed his big cheek against the top of her head.

Todachi will protect me! Oh yeah! Crowed inner Sakura. But Sakura frowned at her inner self.

"I promised myself I would not be weaker than the boys. I want to be a konoichi worthy of the leaf village, worthy of Sasuke."

"Sasuke doesn't want us." Scowled inner Sakura. "He's in love with Naruto. A monster."

"Naruto has killed to keep us safe. Naruto has protected us and worked with us. He's our teammate. If we abandon our teammates, if we fail a mission, we're worse than scum. Naruto is kind and generous, even if he is a moron. He has never done anything to try and hurt us, on purpose."

Todachi sighed. The girl was getting some guts. Good.

**KAKASHI aka KASHINO**

Women were trying to catch Kashi's attentions for themselves to be his mistress but so far Kashi-sama had refused all and every advance sent his way. He was strongly devoted to his wife and family. This was another thing the Head Boss liked about Kashi-sama, his loyalty. Family was everything to the Boss.

He treated his wife like a queen. He took her out to dinner often. He gave her jewelry and gifts. He was respected and feared. Iruka's illness was growing more blatant. People knew Kakashi's weakness was his wife. People could tell the crime lord's top henchman was caring of his wife was afraid for his wife, was deeply in love with his wife and was obviously frightened by the disease that was affecting her mind.

People treated Iruka oddly. Except when jealous peers snubbed their noses at her.

At last Iruka was a little more stable Kakashi asked for arrangements to be made for his wife to have a part time teaching job, one with very little stress.

"My wife is a delicate flower but she does not take to house-wife ways very well. She is easily bored. A bored wife is a dissatisfied wife and I don't ever want my wife to be dissatisfied. I promised her a new life a better life. I am your ojo; find my wife a job, a part time tutor or a part time teaching aid I don't care what. She's got a wonderful mind and she loves working with children. Find her a job or I'll be very unhappy with you."

The gang was pressuring Kakashi to bring his kids into "the family", and to show off his fragile wife. The gang wanted to make sure Kakashi would stay loyal to them and promise the next generation to the clan so that the gang would continue to prosper.

IRUKA aka RUKIA KASHINO

Among his peers Iruka had to deal with a different kind of treatment. At Market Iruka would sometimes run into the jealous females that wanted "Kashino-Sama" Kakashi for themselves. If Kakashi was with Iruka they fawned over them gave Iruka fake smiles and fake looks of sincerity. But when he was alone or with the kids they were very mean to him.

They sneered. "How can someone like Kashin-sama be so enamored of some fish wife?"

"Her skin is less than flawless. Freckles, what a disgrace! And that scar on her face, my god, how ugly can a woman be?"

"She has no looks. Her body is hardly nubile. And her breasts are less than worthy."

"How could those hips have born Kashino-sama his heirs?"

Iruka shrank away from their spiteful hateful words. He shook with fury and yet his confidence was dangerously low lately. He was overly emotional as it was but to hear what those women said of him it hurt.

"How can Kashin-Sama love such a man-woman? I mean even if she were a man I'd never even consider going out with him. Such a plain face. Easily forgettable."

It hurt to know what people really thought of his looks. He had never been handsome, he'd been lucky to have Mizuki look at him twice. He had known that. That had been probably more the reason why he'd stayed with Mizuki so long. No one had ever wanted Iruka Umino. People had either responded to him like the fool he'd pretended to be or as a brother figure. No one had ever desired him or found him appealing.

Mizuki had been his friend since pre-genin days. As genin Mizuki had breached the line between friendship and the becoming Iruka's lover. They dated kissed Mizuki had given him flowers and called him beautiful. Their first time together had been romantic. A night time visit to a lake, fireflies and the moon, the sound of crickets and frogs singing in the background and Mizuki's words of encouragement and love. How could it all have been one huge lie? How had it all gotten so messed up?

Iruka didn't know what to do about Kakashi. He still couldn't figure out why or what it was about him that Kakashi could possibly desire. He knew he was very lucky to have Kakashi looking at him even considering a relationship with him. Kakashi was hard to figure out. He was odd even by jounin standards.

Iruka knew that he wasn't some people's idea of a catch but he had always believed that the heart was more important than outer looks and Kakashi it seemed felt the same. But maybe it was all a lie? Maybe Iruka was becoming too involved in this fantasy. There were reasons why Iruka did not go on missions. He found it hard to keep his emotions and perceptions separate from the mission. He could get lost in a façade and it was so hard to find his way and untangle his mind and emotions from the mission.

Today was a bad day. Iruka's confidence was at a low point. Though the monster had not made an appearance in the last two weeks, his sleep was still disturbed and Iruka worried about Kakashi now that he was deep in the organization they'd come to spy on.

Sakura looked ready to rip those women apart. She held Iruka's hand steadily in her own except when she was testing the fruit or vegetable for imperfections.

How could she not offer her kind sensei all the love and encouragement in her heart when he was facing such an ugly reception among his peers? Yes she was still afraid of the monster cohabitating inside of Iruka but Iruka was on the outside right now and it was obvious to her with every word they overheard, his face kept twitching but not in the "I'm so angry I could rip this classroom apart and suspend you all" way but in the "I'm not hurt not really, okay so it stings, no it hurts, a lot, but I better not show it" way.

"Some people are just cruel Okasan; don't pay attention to those ugly harpies. They're old hags using a guise to make themselves appealing to their men. They have no clue what a real woman is about." She glared at them; inner Sakura had a few more words of catty wisdom to sneer at the snooty witches. "cha-yah".

While the fruit in her hands, oranges, she was currently checking for ripeness exploded in her fists.

"There are more things to a woman then looks. Her man decides those things he loves about her and Otousan adores you. Otousan wouldn't dirty his boots with their backsides and the jealous hags know it."

Iruka suddenly chuckled and bent down to kiss Sakura's forehead. "Thanks Kagome. Be careful of those oranges alright."

Sakura blushed hotly.

THE VENDER

The stall owner ingratiated himself with them waving away whatever damages Sakura did to his fruit, even going so far as to give them a large discount. Kashi-sama was not someone you pissed off lightly, besides the ojo's wife was a very sweet woman and frail of health anyone with eyes could see that. Those women were cruel, heartless, they ordered people around like they owned them, which in a sense they did, but they were simply flavors of the month and they knew it.

Rukia-sama was always polite kind and generous. She never treated anyone as if their respect was due her. She gave respect in return for respect. She looked kindly on kids and was a good teacher's assistant at the school. The stall-owner's grand daughter was making excellent grades now since Kashin-sama's wife had taken an interest. Rukia-sama was a gifted teacher and very loving. Those women just wanted Rukia Kashino's husband, which was disgraceful and shameful coveting another woman's husband. It was despicable. The stall owner glared at those hateful women. He'd be leaving a note for the Ojo on their behavior.

He knew the Ojo would not take well to their mistreatment of his wife. It was obvious to anyone that Kashino-Sama adored his wife. Especially with every conversation the man started, started with a question or observation such as: _"Did you see the Kimono my wife is wearing today? She made it with her own delicate hands? Do you not think the color suits her well?"_

"_The flowers are delicate but not as sweet and fragrant as my wife."_

"_This peach is good but not nearly as juicy as my wife."_

"_This nectarine is soft to the touch but my wife's skin is more so."_

The man was practically pornographic. The stall owner shuddered, part of him pitied Rukia-Sama, Kashino was not an easy man to like, respect yes, like no. But for his love of his wife and all of the respect he truly had for her, one had to like him just for that.

He was in heavy lust with his wife that was for sure. He rarely mentioned their kids. But his wife was always on his mind and always number one in his conversations. So no one could fail to see the man would never look at another woman as long as his wife lived and probably not even after her death.

The Ojo thought his wife walked on air, was the epitome of everything beautiful and darling in life. No one could think to compare. Rukia-Sama was not beautiful but she was a kind woman, a good woman, and she loved and that made her amazing.

IRUKA aka RUKIA KASHINO

Iruka felt safe, secure, strangely, cherished and at night when the kids were in bed it seemed Kakashi couldn't get enough of dancing with Iruka. He'd even sing to the little chunin making him blush and laugh. Iruka wanted to chastise him tell him to stop making his emotions…. He wanted to tell Kakashi to stop being so ridiculous and so funny and so romantic. He wanted to tell Kakashi to stop playing with his emotions. To stop making him feel things for him. He wanted Kakashi to stop confusing him.

"ooh, I need you so

In my arms

I dream of you

I need you" hummed Kakashi in an impromptu song. Iruka laughed at him, his cheeks flaming red, burning with embarrassment.

"Dreaming my life away

I need you so

In my arms

I need you so

To taste your lips so fine

I need you so

Day and night, night and day"

"What's brought this on?" demanded Iruka laughing, trying to disentangle their limbs from one another as Kakashi tried to dance with him yet again. Another evening to be spent in craziness. Still Iruka wouldn't trade it away for anything.

He ached. He knew that once the mission was over he wouldn't have this any more. He knew he didn't like to think on such dreary things. How dared Kakashi make him feel such things. He wanted to be angry with Kakashi but he couldn't.

"The Boss is throwing a party Iruka. He has specifically asked that I bring the family for the New Year celebration. And I wanted to dance with you. You look very naughty tonight."

Iruka choked scowled, the kids were laughing at them. "Baka." He growled and wrapped his knuckles against Kakashi's head.

Kakashi smiled even more in love his arms tightened more so around the chunin, making their bodies close if not for the clothes on their bodies they'd be skin to skin. Kakashi was like an octopus, he wasn't letting Iruka go any time soon.

"I can't let you plead this off any longer. You could upset the boss and put the mission in jeopardy. Its just one night Iruka."

"Those women will be there. They don't like me. They think I'm ugly. I don't want to be a disgrace to you Kashi."

"You can never be a disgrace!" argued Kakashi hotly. "Those women are jealous of you. You're beauty outshines them all and they know it!" he growled.

"Stop! Stop saying that. I'm not blind. I can look in a mirror, Kashi. I know what I look like. I'm no one's idea of beautiful. I'm plain. I'm scarred. I'm not beautiful. You aren't going to get into my pants for saying such things to me. I'm not young like I used to be and you're not Mizuki."

Kakashi growled. "Mizuki was a bastard Ruka. You're right when you say I'm not Mizuki. I'm not just spouting air. To me you are beautiful. It's not for the mission that I say such things. Ruka, you are beautiful. I love you."

"How can I believe you? How can you even bring up such things at a time like this? This mission…." He stopped he couldn't say the words he was floundering for words. What could he say to Kakashi? This mission's importance? That Iruka was getting confused again? That things were weird? That Kakashi can't possibly have those feelings for him, for Iruka Sensei?

"You're right Ruka-koi, maybe this isn't the right time to say all the things that are in my heart. And you are right, we must remember the mission. And so you must come with me to the party whether you want to or not. The Boss wants to meet you and the kids. You will jeopardize the mission if you refuse to go. I can't tell him no. You know that." Kakashi's tone of voice had gone dry, mechanical, mission mode.

Iruka slumped in defeat. He let his body be supported for the moment by Kakashi.

"Tsubaru and Kagome will dress you up fancy and proper, their taste is impeccable. You will be the most beautiful woman there, even our kids will put their kids to shame." Insisted Kakashi, his voice warming a tad.

Kakashi helped Iruka to the bed and laid him out on the quilt he'd made with the kids. It was a good quilt. Each square had a dog or a cat in it, in a pattern that made hearts within hearts. Even if Iruka was not ready to admit to an attraction it was obvious his heart was already on the same path as Kakashi's.

Two cats, ninja summons, dressed in tiny little chunin green vests, Tom and Tommy, both calicos, both tom-cats, of course, came calling.

Cats summons were rare for any number of reasons. One reason off hand they weren't exactly loyal but they seemed to be up to a point where Iruka was concerned. Cats were easily distracted and attentions seekers. Cats owned you, you didn't own them. They hold to bargains but only to their whims. Cats were headaches and unreliable whereas a dog, a dog would die for its ninja friend. Cats who knew what they would do from one moment to the next. If you tried summoning them they would just ignore you unless their whimsy prodded them to respond.

Tom and Tommy were pretty big felines, short furred calicos. They stood as tall as Naruto's chin. They liked Iruka and they liked to hang all over him, rub up against him, be carried by him, and ride on his back. They were playful and comforting in turns. Tom and Tommy also liked to tease and bat their paws at Todachi's face.

The cats made Todachi very nervous.

Iruka's summons had come calling every now and then of their own accord of course and to tease Todachi or comfort Iruka when the kids were at school or when Kakashi, his husband for the mission was at work.

Right now both cats were looking on Kakashi as if he were scum. They looked to be ready to slice and dice him in a moment's notice. They didn't like seeing their Iruka upset. They'd had enough of that crap with Mizuki.

Iruka curled up tightly into a ball on his side. "I have no choice I will go, even if it means they will laugh behind my back and smile to my face even while they stab me in the back."

"There's the spirit." Kakashi smiled. "But seriously, Ruka-koi, I will be there, you won't face those hags alone. We just need to be there for the meal and then we can go home early if you like. The boss will understand if we plead your health."

Iruka scowled darkly. "I'm so damned frail lately Kashi. I don't know what's going on. I'm ashamed of this whatever it is. I have days where I feel like my mind is trying to tear itself apart. I'm so cold sometimes. I wake up from some strange nightmare and I feel like I'm going to freeze to death." He shivered in remembered chill even as it began to creep once more over him. The monster was just below the surface abiding its time.

"The mission is almost over, Ruka. When we get back home we'll get you some real help, I promise." Said Kakashi firm and warm, his face filled with concern.

I won't let the monster win. The children won't let it win either. We love you, Iruka. We won't lose!

Fierce battle aura, chakra flared, Iruka shivered and felt heat suffuse him as he felt Kakashi's arms wrap around him. The cold shrank away to nothing at least for a little bit. The cats leaped onto the bed and draped themselves over what bit of Iruka they could, glaring at the inconvenient Kakashi who was hogging all the bed and all of Iruka.

If it's not a dog it's cats. Why can't I ever win? Thought Kakashi as Tom or was it Tommy? Began to use his leg for a scratching post. Kakashi tried to ignore the cat's antics because he knew Iruka needed him and he wasn't going to budge not even if his leg was torn to shreds for the troubles of comforting his beloved Iruka.

The cat smirked then licked its claws.

THE KIDS

At the railing on the balcony of the loft, Naruto cuddled against Sasuke as they watched their two Senseis. Most nights were good lately. The two senseis hadn't argued but they certainly acted weird. Kakashi was always molesting Iruka in some way or another. But Iruka seemed lighter for it. He laughed and slapped playfully at Kakashi's hands when he was in a good mood which was often of late.

Naruto liked seeing Iruka happy. But tonight when Iruka and Sakura had come back from the market Iruka had looked sad. Sasuke's arm around Naruto was one of comfort.

"Its not fair." He whispered.

"I know." Said Sasuke.

"Iruka-Nii is a good person, why is this happening to him?"

"I don't know, things like this just happen Naruto. The more good a person is the worse things seem to happen to them."

"Those women are so mean. I had one trying to give me sweets. She wanted to get information on Otousan. She made some very mean remarks on Okasan. She asked me if I would rather have a pretty Mama, or an ugly one. I told her I already gots a pretty Okasan."

Sasuke smirked. "And what did she do next?"

"She tried to take away my ice cream cone, but I ran away." Giggled Naruto. "Ugly hag, talking trash about my Ruka-Okasan, I was going to shove my foot up her derriere but I remembered my manners and the mission." He scowled, glowered at the memory. "I did make an ugly face before I ran away though but it didn't feel as good as a boot would have felt going up her back end but I guess I'll just have to be happy that I got my ice cream and made a fool out of her."

"Those women are such evil creatures. I hope this mission ends soon." Said the sleepy Sakura as she came out of her room and sat down next to two snuggling boys on the edge of the balcony of the loft. She held onto the rails and looked down at Kakashi holding Iruka who was crying again.

"It hurts to see him like this." She whispered.

"Yeah." Whispered both boys sadly.

Suddenly as sleep began to fade from her mind Sakura noticed at long last that the two boys were in rather a very close and intimate position. Naruto was in Sasuke's lap. Sakura's temper and chakra flared. She almost hit Naruto but Sasuke's iron grip on her wrist and the second hand over her mouth and a quick movement to bring the three of them closer into the shadowed doorway of their bedrooms kept her from abusing her smaller younger teammate.

He pointed to Kakashi who was suddenly looking up at the loft from his place by Iruka's side. He glared at them. Todachi was making his slow way up the stairs. A little whine a little wuf and the kids were herded back into their rooms.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the dog and at Kakashi. But his gaze was stern when his eyes locked onto Sakura's.

"Don't hit Naruto and don't accuse him of stealing me away. I was never yours. I am not some object to be stolen or forced into the possession of another. Sakura you are becoming a good teammate and I have respect for you but do not make me choose and do not make me angry. You will not like what I will do to you if you hurt Naruto. Do you understand?"

Sakura sniffled. "I know, Sasuke. I really do. I just. I wasn't ready for the reality. I'm sorry."

Her bedroom door shut. Todachi shouldered the boy's into their room then curled up on the bed next to Naruto his eyes on Sasuke.

"I'm not going to molest Naruto or hurt him, you know." He said to Todachi.

Todachi smiled. "Sure you're not. That's why I'm here." The dog seemed to say with his affable manner.

Sasuke rolled his eyes yet again and borrowed a phrase from his friend Shikamaru. "How troublesome."

**CHRISTMAS**

Christmas was not an event that the Konoha ninja were familiar with however it seemed that this village they now resided in celebrated that magical event known as Christmas. Iruka was worried at firs since he wasn't sure what Christmas was. His coworkers thought he'd been kidding them at first.

"You don't know about Christmas?" they asked.

Some gave him eyes of pity. "This village primarily is made up of one faith, known as Christianity. Christmas celebrates the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. However Christmas is also a celebration of family and love. So you don't have to be Christian to celebrate it, you don't even have to believe in Jesus or his birth the miracles. Some believe in a Saint called St Nicholas, now there are a lot of stories out there about old St.Nick, also known as Santa Claus. Christmas has basically become about Santa rather than Jesus. Santa gives kids presents if they've been good all year."

Iruka's head spun. What an odd bunch of beliefs. But presents sounded good to the Konoha ninja. He felt Christmas would be a good thing for team seven. He set out to find Kakashi immediately.

"Kashi-sama, Kashi-sama." He ran in his girl shoes, quick shuffle of feet, trying not to trip, hair coming a little loose in his haste.

Kakashi turned from the gathering of men around him to look at his hurried wife with some concern. Why was Iruka running was something wrong with the kids? Was there an emergency?

"I, I apologize for disturbing your meeting Kashino-Sama." He gasped bowing several times to her husband the group around him. Kakashi waved his hand in a "no bother" "go on" kind of way.

"I just heard about a thing called Christmas. We don't have a tree. We don't have gifts for the kids. The whole village celebrates this Christmas thing and… and… I don't want the children to feel left out. And… and Christmas is next week!" he gasped out in horror.

Kakashi blinked a time or two then began to chuckle. He fell down laughing. Iruka drew himself up to his full height, still several inches shorter than Kakashi, and glared down at the laughing bastard.

"Why are you laughing? I'm being serious here. Christmas is next week. We have nothing to give the kids or even a tree or Christmas things to decorate the house with."

"Rukia-koi, don't be mad. I just thought with the way you were running that perhaps there was an emergency, life… death…"

"Our children's development is at steak!" roared Iruka. "And our standing in the community!"

"Why do you say that?" asked Kakashi.

"We're not Christians. We don't know anything about Christmas. My peers are torn between pitying us and trying to convert us! And your boss and his wife's party is coming up soon, probably it too has something to do with this Christmas thing. Do you want to shame yourself with ignorance in front of them?! What if we aren't accepted because we don't know anything about Christmas? What if they end of firing you because you don't know anything about this Christmas stuff, or the traditions that go with it? Oh my god!" the panic was settling in.

Kakashi put a comforting arm around his wife. "Now, now, dear, I'm sure it's not that important. Its just dinner with the boss and the family. Its nothing to get so worked up about."

His wife's glare shut him up.

"Uh yes, right, Christmas trees and Christmas things and gifts, right? Okay, we'll get it done." Insisted Kakashi. His eye went immediately going to his henchman. Who immediately went about finding the last of everything Christmas that they could find.

Very quickly the house was decorated in greens and reds, boughs of holly, pine wreaths, and cinnamon and nutmeg and all spice scents. Next Iruka marched the kids, cats, and dog, and a hangdog Kakashi out to the nearest tree farm up on one of the near mountains. Cold and shivering the family went in search of the perfect Christmas tree.

They all said a prayer over the tree and then Kakashi and Iruka took a handsaw and began to cut it down. Cold mud, snow falling down, sticky sap covering their fingers and clothes, Pine needles stung them as the five of them and Todachi carried the Tree down by sled. The farmer gave them hot cider and cocoa. Iruka beamed merrily while his little troupe glowered and shivered in the cold.

"Let's get home. The snow's coming down pretty hard." Smiled the ecstatic Iruka.

Grumbles were stifled as thoughts of a warm and cozy fireplace of their home came to mind. Tom and Tommy were snuggled up under Iruka's coat. Todachi doing grunt labor with assistance of the kids. No one knew why Iruka was so happy. They didn't understand Christmas at all. No matter how many times their fellow students and even Iruka explained it to them they still couldn't understand what was so special about Christmas.

Someone spying on you. No gifts if you weren't good twenty four seven, which automatically left ninja's out of the good list, since ninjas killed and they were all pretty sure killing even if it was done for a just cause still ended up on the naughty list. After all, Christmas had never visits Konoha, Saint Nick nor his eight reindeer ever came flying down in his sled to visit the children of konoha. What was the point in celebrating something that ninja could never be a part of?

Iruka made spiced cider, egg nog, and some kind of punch with cloves and oranges in it, that tasted very good. They decorated the tree in ribbons of cranberry and popcorn; glass ornaments baubles in a rainbow of colors from gold and silver to red and green. The tree was beautiful and Sakura couldn't help but fall in love with it. Kakashi hugged Iruka; the cats hogged the love seat. Sasuke and Naruto lay on the floor by the fire studying the tree they'd helped decorate. As much of a hassle as it had been it looked… good. The boys felt a sense of satisfaction.

When the kids were in bed Iruka and Kakashi very stealthily and very quickly wrapped their presents and set them under the tree. They smiled satisfied with a job well done.

CHRISTMAS Morning

"Why do you insist on giving me so much jewelry?" asked Iruka a little irked and embarrassed. He was adorned in gold. Gold bracelets, gold earrings, gold rings, gold necklace, gold flecked hair pins in the shapes of flowers and butterflies. Delicately and exquisitely made hair pins that Iruka would soon have no use for along with all the gold jewelry once this mission was over.

"Can't a man decorate and adorn his wife?" asked Kakashi innocently, but for the look in his eye that was darn right disturbingly intimate.

"You're envisioning me naked aren't you?" demanded the blushing Iruka, embarrassment fighting flattery and fighting burning wrath. I'm being harassed! Dammit! I hate being harassed! And he bloody well knows it. Yes go on and eat it all up Kakashi because when this mission finally ends, you're getting a throw down, so help me!

Kakashi's happy smirk was his only answer and the little bit of drool that pooled at the corner of his lip.

"You're a perv; you know that right, a real perv. Me in nothing but gold jewelry. That's just not right." Whined Iruka but he felt a little thrill from the idea. Kakashi's eyes were devouring him again. "Stop harassing me." Said Iruka but it lacked its usual heat. Which Kakashi took for a sign then he glomped onto Iruka and didn't leave his body for the rest of the day. Kakashi was like a second piece of clothing or body suit. Naruto tried to dislodge him and failed.

"Don't worry sweetie, if you really don't like all the gold you can give it away to charity after the mission. I promise I wont be upset over it. But as an Ojo I have to adorn my wife. Besides I think the jewelry suits you."

Iruka blushed hotly. Kakashi kept his face buried in Iruka's neck and shoulder breathing in the love of his life.

Sakura laughed at them. Oddly enough they made a very sweet couple. Iruka looked pleased though he was trying to hide it.

The cats played with the ribbons and ripped apart the colorful wrapping papers. They each had a gift as well as the eight hounds that Kakashi called his summonses. The dogs adored their gifts and showered their master with much affections as well as giving thanks to Iruka and the kids. Tom and Tommy looked on the pack of ninkin with sniffs of their arrogant noses and gleaming eyes, especially aiming interested eyes on the smaller hounds like Pakkun.

"I'm thinking Orderves, Tommy, what about you?" asked Tom, licking his large fangs.

"I'm thinking the same thing." Said Pakkun giving the cats a nasty look of his own.

Dogs marshaled their forces and looked ready to have a showdown with the two cats.

"Okay, you guys, break it up." Ordered Iruka. "Break it up, the lot of you or you can kiss your presents goodbye."

The cats sniffed tails went into the air they gave Iruka hurt looks before disappearing in a huff. The dogs settled down and smiled at their victory. Iruka scowled.

Sakura's presents were a couple of fans and a kimono as well as a set of matching hair pins like Iruka's. The fans could be used as weapons in time. Kakashi and Iruka had made them for her. The pins could also become throwing needles.

"Be careful not to prick your skin, for the time being the only potion on those pointed ends is sleeping potion but in time you will adorn them in poison." Explained Kakashi. "As most Konoichi do."

"Thank you Otousan and Okasan." She smiled happily.

Naruto and Sasuke had new shoes and shurikan and kunai as well as brand new hakamas and kimonos.

"You all will have to wear your new clothes to the party tonight." Insisted Iruka.

Kakashi smiled. "Yep, the Boss is finally going to meet our little family and we need him to be impressed. So behave and look your best, and try not to shame your Otousan and Okasan in front of your Otousan's employer."

Sasuke and Naruto glared. Iruka laughed. Then suggested brunch which turned their attentions to their tummies and the huge feast that was laid out for them.

TBC

Apologies if I'm getting names and titles as well as language wrong. I have very little knowledge of criminal hierarchy and very little knowledge of Asian cultures, just what I've read from other authors and my two sisters who studied Japanese a long time ago, and the Travel & History channels (though to be honest I only watched snippets, so my knowledge is very shaky).

NEXT TIME:

The New Year meal -PARTY Iruka and the Boss' wife fast friends?

OOH jealous hags on the alert!


	7. Chapter 7

Kakashi and Iruka will eventually get to it, I promise. Iruka just has a lot of issues he needs to deal with first. Once those matters are settled he's getting laid, I swear:) lol

Thank you again to all of my readers and reviewers. This has been a blast! I'm very happy that I have such keen eyed readers. They bring my attention to details I forget to write, with good questions. Without these good questions I never would have remembered to put in an explanation. (Okay, stop channeling Gai!)

Thank you, kind readers, and reviewers.

**Chapter Seven**

Naruto looked at Iruka biting his lip, eyes wide and curious. He wasn't sure how to approach the subject delicately. He knew the crime peoples girlfriends, whom Sakura called hags, were causing Iruka some problems behind Kakashi's back.

"Okasan, I was wondering." He bit his lip again and twidled his fingers much like Hinata-chan does when in his presence. "Why not a henge, more precisely, why not try my Sexy-No-Jutsu?"

Iruka blushed. "It doesn't seem to work for me, Kagetera."

Naruto blinked. "Why not?"

"I don't know why, it just doesn't." insisted Iruka blushing.

He had a theory but he wasn't going to explain it to Naruto. Naruto was a child and his mind was not fully formed in to who he was. Iruka was nearly thirty and he had 28 years of self image he'd have to battle to perform such an intimate and embarrassing jutsu. Especially since Sexy-No-Jutsu seemed to be a transformation more difficult than a rock or a tree transformation. It was too intimate too personal, and it wasn't like Iruka knew very much about women and their anatomy and he didn't want to! Anko had ruined women for him for all time, men were more his thing anyway.

"I don't have a lot of chakra to expend", (the powerful chakra belongs to monster, not Iruka) "so it would not do me a service if I used it all on maintaining a henge. A good shinobi should always conserve chakra in case it is needed for something more life threatening. If a shinobi can get away with a little sleight of hand or a little dress-up and make-up to make a disguise work than his purposes are better served through illusion of that nature rather than draining chakra." explained Iruka gently.

"Oh, okay, I understand now. I'm sorry Okasan. Its too bad my jutsu cannot help you. It would have made those women eat their words."

Iruka blushed hotly. "Yes, yes, I'm sure it would have. Here let me help you with that kimono. How do you like it?"

"I love it Okasan!" cried Naruto loudly and happily. The playful foxes at the ends of the kimono cha-cha-ing up one side of the ensemble were not quite right, linked with daisies in a pattern of playfulness, they looked much more like little mutated cats then little foxes but Iruka had tried his best to create them in the best image of a fox that he could and tried to replicate them all throughout the layers of his clothes.

"I think it's the most amazing yukata, hakama, kimono ever!"

Iruka smiled as he straightened the sashes and the layers of cloth around the smaller squirming boy.

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A/N: Good question came up regarding Iruka and "Sexy No Jutsu". Sexy No Jutsu is Naruto's trademark or signature move (and a perversion of henge or a forbidden jutsu – not sure if I remember that right) I know Naruto tried to teach it to Konohamaru with some interesting and mixed results. I figure Iruka has tried the Sexy no Jutsu and failed it. Explanation: it takes a lot of chakra to maintain a Jutsu. Iruka has chunin level chakra, enough for defense of Konoha but not enough for long term chakra use. Jounin have a lot of chakra and chakra endurance.

The slant I puton this Jutsu is: Self-Image. Naruto hasn't a self image problem. He's a kid who thinks its fun and funny to dress up in a sexy no Jutsu and get a reaction from the adults, its another form of manipulation for him to get the results he wants. Konohamaru is a little kid who just lost his grandfather and is under tutelage by Ebisu, so he too ain't exactly in a good mind set and so his Sexy No Jutsu is bizarre. Iruka can't do Sexy No Jutsu because his self image is very low. He knows he's ugly and he knows he can't be sexy. (Which is FALSE. Iruka's hot, he's got that whole kindness thing that makes me just love him to pieces. Which is why I'm torturing him like this. I'm a terrible, terrible, person. Sob. sob.) So my slant on this jutu is "Self-Image", Self Image has a lot to do with the success or failure of this particular jutsu.  
End (A/N)  
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**KAKASHI**

Kakashi read the stall owner's note over and over again. He looked pained. Because he felt pained. Umino Iruka was handsome and drool worthy with skin like the sweetest nectarines to taste and touch. Umino had eyes that were expressive and flashed such wonderful emotions. Umino's fair cheeks blushed on average twenty times a day and made him more attractive. Kakashi liked seeing Iruka happy. He liked having Iruka happy. A happy Umino Iruka was a stable Umino Iruka.

Kakashi sighed. He had never understood the fairer sex. The way they grasped and fought and turned their backs on friends just to get their claws into a man. Kakashi could never understand such behavior or accept it. Being sweet on a person did not give you the right to try and tear down the sweetheart of the man you wanted. If the man had an interest in you then he owed it to his sweetie to break it off or at least get it on and not get caught at two timing.

Kakashi liked to think of himself as a fair minded man. He was also an opportunist like any other. He'd had twins in bed at the same time once or twice. He'd had a few people he dated off and on at the same time but no one he had been serious about. He had made it known to each party that he was a player. He also let them know he was having it on with others at the same time. He left it up to the interested party whether or not they could accept such a thing and continue the fling with him or not.

More than he liked to admit it the party usually ended up kicking his ass out of their bed pretty quickly after that. Kakashi hadn't ever done stable relationships before. He'd only ever had flings. He'd never been in love. Not like he was now.

He was in deep love with Umino Iruka.

Kakashi was a man he had needs like any man did and comfort and sex went along with the job description. He had always believed that if cupid's arrow ever struck him he would be faithful to his love and he would never be tempted by another and to stray from the one he was devoted to. He found happily that so far he had been right about himself.

He was a man he had eyes it didn't keep him from flirting but he always made it known he was in it for the long haul with Iruka. Flirting was alright as long as the line was never crossed. It was something that Iruka seemed even to understand and accept as well. Kakashi wouldn't cross the line. He loved Iruka. He wasn't about to have sex with anyone but Iruka. He was no Mizuki to betray Iruka's trust and burgeoning heart. He was not a bachelor. Not any more. He was with Iruka for this mission, and after it, if Iruka would have him.

He did not know what he could do about the hags haranguing and harassing his sweetie.

He supposed he could kick their asses but that didn't seem very fair to him since non of these women were Kunoichi. It would be plain old abuse. It would be pitiful. And what man who called himself a man could raise his hand to a woman? No matter how much she might deserve such a thing.

Kakashi had been raised to believe that a woman was to be treated with respect and to be handled with care. He knew this from experience. Women were dangerous creatures and twisted things. There are stories about Women, hair raising stories, stories about scorned women, women's ways, women's revenge and the way a woman could make a man feel not good.

All he could do was coolly rebuff their advances and call them on their false smiles and false praises. He would also ask their men to take more control over their women; not that men stood a chance against their woman, but it was worth a shot. Women always ruled the roost no matter what man thought.

But knowing that these women were hurting Iruka that did something to his heart that he could not quite forgive. His heart ached; it twisted and ached and twisted for Iruka's pain. He couldn't ignore what they were doing.

"Here's the thing boys and girls." He announced. "I expect you to show my wife respect whether I stand at her side or am away from her side on business. She is my wife. She is SAMA. She is always t be Sama or San. She is to be shown respect at all times. She is the Goddess in my life. If my Goddess hurts then I hurt. If I hurt than you get to hurt. I think that's only fair don't you?"

Every man their fidgeted and looked nervous. The women stood perfectly still each one of them enrapt by Kakashi's words.

"If I hear that my wife has been disrespected, I will only say this once, you get to hurt along with me. If I hurt my pain is coming out in your hides. Your women have been disrespecting my wife. My wife does not tell me these things. Others have spoken up on her behalf to me. My wife is a forgiving angel. She is all that is kind and merciful in this world. So let me just say for the record. I will never leave my wife. Even if she were dead I'd never leave her. If I were dead I would come back to be a protective spirit always with her. I will never find anyone as attractive or as mesmerizing as my wife is. In my eyes no one can possibly compare to my wife." Explained Kakashi narrow eyed. It was one of his longest speeches ever and he was hardly even finished yet. His throat was growing raspy and he thirsted for water but he needed to get this done and make them understand. He was never going to leave Iruka. Not ever.

"Therefore I hope you all get the drift here. I would never sleep with anyone other than my wife. Further more. If any more attempts are made to make my wife miserable, my henchmen are going to feel my wrath. Pay will be docked, blood will be shed, torture will be carried out. Because I cannot bring myself to harm a woman and dishonor myself in such unseemly behavior, I leave it up to my henchmen to figure out how to reign in their women. Perhaps they will simply just dump you after all that's what I'd do to a woman I have only momentary feelings for rather than suffer terrible and horrible torture that will last for hours on behalf of my woman's disrespect of the boss's wife. You all do now understand right? You're my henchmen's women, you are not mine nor will you ever be my women. My wife is my woman. My wife is my Goddess." Said Kakashi smiling sweetly.

"My Wife is my forever and my eternal. Understand?" His expression turned deadly serious. Henchmen shivered, a woman or two fainted. But there looked still to be a woman or two with an eye on Kakashi still. Kakshi had known tenacity was a trait many women had. They probably shared a motto like "Nothing's worth having unless its hard won" or some such nonsense, okay not nonsense after all Kakashi was feeling it for Iruka.

**The Party: "Disaster or Success."**

No matter that Kakashi thought he had put the lid on the disrespect issue he wasn't so foolish as to believe that it ended the true conflict. He knew there was still going to be gossips and conniving women. Trouble seemed destined to come their way no matter what.

Kakashi's arm was around Iruka. Umino Iruka was breathtaking in his new stunning Kimono, the colors and designs were of the sea, clouds in white with playful dolphins jumping in between. Naruto in his Hakama & kimono in a pattern of burnished copper and oranges, daisies and foxes. Sasuke in deep blues matching Iruka's kimono, though Sasuke's had black and red swallows (birds) in patterns on his kimono. Sakura in her usual red with patterns of little blossoms. Kakashi's outfit was a match for both Sakura's and Naruto's, dressed in red, with bits of gold and copper, birds, foxes, clouds and dolphins danced in sprays of clouds and white sakura blossoms. His kimono was by far a masterpiece of collage meant to tie the family patterns all together. Like some come to life tapestry. Iruka had outdone himself. Kakashi wore his kimono proudly. He felt like a true patriarch.

They were stunning.

The boss was a large man, in stature and size. He was handsome with rugged looks. It was obvious that he had fought every step of the way to get to where he was now. But he also had some strange, kind, quality to his features. Eyes that should have been hard like the chiseled cheeks on his face were large and friendly, almost a Father Christmas type quality to his features. He was wealthy and his figure showed it. His wife was willowy and tall with blonde locks, eyes of forest green. Her arm was around her husband's large waist and they looked very happy together, evening love with one another. ( I was thinking Gandolfini, from Sopranos. If you're an adult and you've seen Sopranos, then you know who I'm describing here as the Yakuza leader, Sakuragi as Tony Soprano.)

"Merry Christmas Kashino-san! Is this your wife?" asked Sakuragi-Sama, happy to finally meet the elusive wife. His eyes studied Iruka and the three kids with a sudden cunning light. He weighed them and found them to his liking. "She seems so young to have born you such beautiful children. It is such a pleasure to meet you at long last Rukia-San, my dear."

Iruka blushed, her hand squeezed Kashino's in her shy nervousness.

Intelligent eyes noted all body language communication. He tried to be more kind. He did not want to alienate his top henchman by making his wife feel uncomfortable. Sakuragi knew about Kashino's complete obsession with his wife. In some respects it matched Sakuragi's own love of his own wife. "This is my wife, Kate-Lynn, she is from the North originally."

Kate-Lynn smiled politely at the shy Rukia. She gracefully held out her hand to Rukia for her to clasp in friendship.

Rukia smiled shyly back then slowly clasped her hand in Kate-Lynn's. Kate-Lynn blinked at the gentle squeeze. It was firm, strong, honest and thoughtful. The hand in hers seemed more man than woman. Kate-Lynn's eyes turned speculative then turned to study the children in a better light. She suspected the children were adopted. She suspected Rukia and Kashino were not who they seemed to be.

Rukia looked from Kate-Lynn to her children and began to become protective. She tried to shield them from Kate-Lynn's studious eyes.

The men folk ambled into the dining room discussing things of import for men to discuss leaving the women to talk to one another and get to know one another better.

Kate-Lynn tried to smile soothingly. "It is very good to meet you at long last Rukia-San. Kashino-San speaks of you often. And might I ask the names of your children?"

Rukia tensed for a moment then relaxed she tucked her youngest in against her waist. Blonde locks scattered in a thick patch of spikes, a wide smiling face with wide blue eyes.

"This is Kagetera our youngest" Rukia tried to smooth the child's locks down but they stubbornly refused to obey and continued to stand straight up in a messy tangle of gold.

"Hi!" the child was enthusiastic, and sparkled with good cheer.

Rukia then turned to her eldest son, black hair with cool dark eyes. He seemed more like his father than the other two. Though Kate-Lynn again suspected that neither children were blood to either Rukia or Kashino-san.

"This is Tsubaru."

Tsubaru was polite but aloof. "Nice to meet you, Ma'am."

Kagetera scowled at his older brother. "Aniki, should be nicer, mommy. He has no manners at all."

Kagome scowled at her little brother and looked to be itching to beat some sense into his head. Tsubaru glared a warning at his sister. Rukia looked near to tears.

Rukia blushed terribly embarrassed. "Kagetera, please. Not here. Kagome you are a young lady, don't shame me."

Kagome blushed like her mother. "hai, hai, gomen, so sorry, sorry, Okasan. Lady Kate-Lynn it is an honor to meet you."

Kate-Lynn grinned amused. It was obvious who the troublemaker was in the family though he didn't seem to do it with malice.

"It is so good to meet all of you as well." Insisted Kate-Lynn merrily then to Rukia as if in conspiracy mode she whispered, eyes twinkling, "They must be a right hand full, yes?" asked Kate-Lynn smiling gently in a chuckle not meant to offend but to share the delight she felt in meeting them.

Rukia nodded with some relief. "Yes, they can be. But we are blessed with very kind hearted children. I don't know what I would do without them."

"Children are a blessing. I envy you, your happiness Rukia-chan. My husband and I have been trying for children for a long time. Alas it is not meant to be."

"I'm very sorry to hear that." Replied Rukia, compassion in her eyes. "Have you thought of adoption? There are many children out there who could use so much love."

"Is this what you and Kashino-san did?" asked Kate-Lynn gently, quizzing.

Rukia blinked and looked at her children then chuckled warmly. "Yes, and we do not regret one single moment of it." Why deny any of it when it was true? The kids looked nothing like Kakashi or like Iruka, behavior wise yes there were plenty of similarities however where looks were concerned non at all. Adoption had been one of the scenarios they'd devised to explain the differences so Iruka went ahead and confessed to adoption being the case.

"Perhaps Sakuragi-sama and myself will discuss such matters. I do have a niece though that I spoil non stop, I think of her as a daughter of sorts, from my husband's side of the family she goes to school and is in one of your classes. She speaks very highly of you Rukia-chan."

"Saya-chan is your niece?" asked Rukia delightedly.

Kate-Lynn's smile widened happily. "Yes, yes she is. How does she get along in class?"

Rukia smiled more confidently. "She has excelled in class lately and she has been a very joy to teach."

"That's good to hear. Shall we continue into the dining hall?"

"Dinner already?"

"Not quite, just snacks and more people to talk to. Dinner will be served in an hour or two depending on the turkey and the cook. I hope you will enjoy your time here with us."

"Yes. Uh oh, uh Tsubaru go get the presents from the cart. Kate-Lynn Sama, we have a few gifts for you and your husband as a symbol of our appreciation for inviting us to your party."

"Thank you Rukia-chan, that was very kind of you. Tell me. I can't help but notice your kimonos and hakamas, they look very well seamed and stitched, the patterns are so … alive seeming, did you create them?"

Rukia blushed some more. "My mother's technique passed down from generation to generation." Confirmed Rukia. "Do you really like them?"

"Yes, especially Tsubaru's design. I love the look of the birds but then again I am a bird fanatic. And Kagetera's outfit, are those little foxes and daisies?"

Rukia blushed some more. "I'm afraid they turned out to look more like little cats than foxes but yes, that is exactly what they were supposed to be."

Kate-Lynn's arm found its way into Rukia's arm and wrapped itself around her elbow. Before Iruka knew what was happening he was in a very intimate position. Iruka had rarely been in such a position before. A friend's arm wrapped in his own. A tall shoulder resting against his own and a friend's hair tangling with his own. A friend's warmth seeping into his own. Not a lover's but as a sister's warmth. It was an amazing feeling.

"I think we're going to be excellent friends, Rukia-Chan, you may call me, Lynn-chan if you like?"

Iruka was still in awe. He'd never had a friend that was a woman before. Women were so odd, so intimate in their interactions with one another. What personal space he had was quickly eaten away.

"You must, simply must, teach me those stitch techniques! They're amazing."

Rukia continued to blush pleased and shy. Tsubaru carefully brought in the gifts then set them down on the table near the giant tree his siblings by his side helping him with the two large gifts.

Then as children often do they set out to explore their host's house.

Some of the guests were already tipsy and they were gossiping as usual. A few women recognized the children and they fawned all over them hoping to earn good points for themselves and their boyfriends-slash-future-husbands.

The kids bristled under the attentions but each were mindful of Iruka and Kakashi and their manners.

But one woman kept giving them calculating looks and saying lofty things. She kept making snide remarks about Kashino's choice for a wife. Her friends tried to hush her up but they were not swift enough and very soon Naruto stumbled across the unhappy person and her remarks.

Naruto had some obnoxious things to say right back to the drunken hag. She reddened with rage and tried to do Naruto bodily harm.

Tsubaru managed to grab Naruto and get him out of range of the kick to his head, using his own body to shield his teammate from the hag's kick. Iruka appeared within a blink of an eye and took the kick to his stomach instead, placing himself between the two boys and the enraged woman.

Iruka gasped in pain and felt something break in his chest.

"Rukia!" screamed Kate-Lynn in horror.

Kakashi was second to arrive drawn to the commotion by the boss' wife's scream. Kakashi's blue eye blazed. The crazy hag had Rukia in a head lock by her hair with a pair of sharp chopsticks aimed for Rukia's graceful neck ready and willing to spill Rukia's blood. Iruka was reeling in shock. He had not foreseen such a thing happening this night. He tried to stay calm and to gather his own wits for a return attack but his mind went blank. He could not afford to give away his identity and to endanger the mission. He gave a calm look to his children and the frightened people around them. He knew Kakashi would save the day or something would happen to calm this situation down. This was Christmas after all a time for miracles to happen.

"Okasan, okasan." Cried Naruto, eyes starting to blaze red, the demon inside of him was not very happy with his kit's agitation and fear.

Sasuke decided a quick pinch to his little brother's nerve cluster was called for, sending the little kit to sleep and hanging limply from his arms. He hugged Naruto tightly to his chest and watched the showdown about to begin.

Kakashi looked at the group before him the boss next to him doing likewise as well. Both men seemed to suck the oxygen from the room. Sakuragi-Sama no longer looked like a jovial kind man, he suddenly looked as a Yakuza leader should look. Hard and empty like an elite ninja assassin, like Kakashi beside him.

"Whose woman is this?" asked Kakashi, cold and deadly.

She looked up from her hold on Iruka as if finally noticing that she was at the center of their attentions. She looked at Iruka with some sort of vicious promise in her dead insane eyes. She was beautiful like poisonous things often are.

Iruka shakily regained his footing and carefully untangled himself from her hold. He read from her expression that this was hardly over by a long shot. Iruka's monster smiled and curled in anticipation, it agreed, this really wasn't over, not at all.

"K-Kashino-S-Sama, please, its still Christmas, please." Requested Rukia, eyes large and wide with tears.

Kate-Lynn swooped down on Iruka and bundled him up in her arms. "This is my house." She growled. "There will be no bloodshed this night, as dear Rukia-chan has said it is Christmas still and the new year around the corner. It would be terrible bad luck to shed blood before the New Year. I won't have it."

Sakuragi-Sama looked to his wife and clenched his fists. Her green eyes were chilled and glittered like jade. She was breathtaking. This was her house and she had a point. They needed a better year. Rukia was the wronged party if she wanted her attacker to have a reprieve then so be it.

"Very well, my wife" said Sakuragi, bowing to his wife's demand. Then he turned to the spared woman. "Lady, you best thank the One God, that tonight your life has been spared, but know this, once the New Year begins your reprieve is over. You're dead, got me, dead; unless you get the hell out of my town."

Kakashi was still shaking with fury. His men flinched and quaked with terror. His eyes promised them pain.

Kate-Lynn helped Iruka to one of the spare bedrooms for him to lay down in.

"We'll call a doctor for you Rukia-chan." She insisted as she helped Rukia to the bed.

"No, I just need to lay down for a little bit, I'll be alright." Rukia wheezed. "Kagetera, is my Kagetera alright?" she asked worried.

Tsubaru trailed them to the bedroom and lay Naruto down at Iruka's side.

"He's alright Okasan. He is merely sleeping."

"Good, good, thank you Tsubaru. Lynn-Chan please don't worry about me, I'm all right, I promise."

Something in Rukia's tone told Kate-Lynn that her friend had suffered much worse and had survived just fine. Kashino-San is an abuser? She thought startled and horrified.

"No, Okasan's first husband." Informed Tsubaru gently.

Kate-Lynn blinked. "Oh. I see." Getting her footing back under her she then rallied to her friend's aid. "Still I think a doctor needs to be called. Let me see your ribs, Rukia-chan, no need for modesty between us girls. You've got nothing I haven't seen before I'm sure."

Rukia began to giggle hysterically, and blushing, "Uh, uh Lynn-chan, please, please, I'm alright there's no need I assure you I…" he tried to fend her hands off but Kate-Lynn was adamant and determined to look and see the damage. She wanted to help her friend.

"No please, its not necessary, I assure you." Insisted Iruka. It was too late to do a henge and there wasn't enough time to do the hand signals to even begin such a technique, besides he didn't want to give his ninja status away to Kate-Lynn a possible suspect.

Kate-Lynn's hands were fast and Iruka's kimono did not stand a chance. Kate-Lynn flushed red all over. "Oh, oh, oh my, those aren't breasts." She whispered in shock. Nice pectoral muscles, nice lean abs, muscles galore for any woman to salivate over. She had to remind herself that she was a married woman and happily so. But here in front of her eyes was candy, lots and lots of delightful candy. This was a man dressed like a woman. Why? For the love of another man. Because no one could or would accept such a thing, at least not in this village. How very sad.

"I mean, I shouldn't be so shocked. I suspected Kashino-sama of such tendencies. To hide what you are seems such a shame, somehow. You're a very beautiful man, Rukia-chan, or should I call you something else?" asked Kate-Lynn offer of friendship still tightly in tact.

"Busted." Said Sakura panic setting in. Oh man, what do we do? What do we do?

Inner Sakura was running circles and sprinting like crazy.

Run away! the missions been compromised! No we must kill Lynn-Sama! No we can't do that! She's too high profile! Oh god, what do we do? What do we do?

Sakura's hand worked without her conscious thought and one of her needles found its way into Kate-Lynn putting her instantly to sleep.

TBC

Sorry it's short. Sorry for the cliffhanger. This was such a difficult chapter to write! I don't know why it was, but it was. Damn writer's block! Anywhoo, the next chapter will be coming along very shortly, this I promise.

Chapter 8 coming soon.

seriously:)


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you, kind readers and reviewers, thank you all so much. You ROCK! **

**And here is the new Chapter Eight. I hope you like it. **

**Chapter Eight**

The AfterMath

Iruka sighed. What to do? Sakura had thought fast and reacted very quickly which she would have received an A+ for in class but this was not the school yard, this was in fact real life, and now they had another crisis to figure out and to deal with.

Sakura was weeping piteously, panic and adrenaline was making her shake like a leaf.

"All right, All right, no one panic." Commanded Iruka. "The dart only has enough sleeping potion to last 20 minutes. We must act calmly and as if nothing has happened here. Meanwhile we must come to a very big decision. Should we come clean to Lynn-chan or shall I try once more to "sexy-no-jutsu" myself, or at least do a rather shallow henge of a female?"

"If we do the henge then we must think up a story that Kate-Lynn Sama may believe. Though something in me suspect that she figured out I was male from moment one. I've never had that happen to me before. Not that I cross dress all that often on missions, but well, the few times I did it, when I was a genin, no one figured it out, no one."

"Can I cross Kate-Lynn Sama off the list of suspects though is the question, and can I trust her to keep our secret?"

Sasuke looked coolly on both his sensei and his teammate.

"Doomed! Doomed." Wept Sakura.

Sasuke sighed then did the heartless thing and smacked Sakura across the cheeks repeatedly. "Straighten up. You're a ninja, dammit. Stop weeping like the weak and pitiful creature you are."

"So harsh Sasuke." Chastised Iruka frowning. He winced at Sakura's cheeks turning red from the smacks.

"All of you just stay calm. All right, just stay calm and we'll think of something." Insisted Iruka.

"Henge." Insisted Sasuke.

"I don't think it will really work, Sas-Tsubaru. She had too good a glimpse of my uh, body." Iruka blushed.

Sasuke frowned. "This is a very important mission Iru- uh-Okasan."

"You don't need to rub it in my face Tsubaru. I am well aware of the importance of this mission."

Iruka looked peeved. His composure slipping steadily away from him, and with it control of his inner monster. The monster in him growled its own musings and suggestions, namely snack time.

The room began to feel more cold and ice formed in spikes on the windows. Naruto squirmed then red eyes gazed into blue ice and monster to monster power measuring against power, the water sylph grumbled then slipped back beneath the surface of Iruka's skin and control.

Naruto finally awakened. "Okasan! You're all right!" cried the re-energized boy, throwing himself at Iruka. "Tsubaru Teme hit me and then I was all blacked out and he's so mean to me!"

Iruka sighed and put his finger to his temples, massaging away the beginnings of a migraine while Naruto bounced on the bed.

"What are we going to do?" He asked no one in particular.

He really liked Kate-Lynn and as much as his training was screaming at him "Do not trust" Iruka's heart and mind were in unison when they told him to do the opposite.

"I trust Kate-Lynn. There is nothing in her that is deceitful."

"You can't know that for certain Iru-Okasan." Insisted Sasuke stubbornly. "We can't trust your feelings on this and we can't trust Kate-Lynn San. Our mission is in jeopardy. We have to do something to keep it safe."

Iruka's eyes glared fire. "Are you calling me a danger to this mission?"

"Yes. You're unstable. We can't trust your feelings. Example: Mizuki sensei. You trusted him and continued to trust him even after all that he did to you. You have a dependent personality. You crave abuse and approval from your abuser."

"Don't you dare analyze me." Hissed Iruka, rage burning brightly in his eyes. "I know my duty. Glass houses and stones Sasuke. You don't have the right to analyze me. You're a little boy as much a victim as I am, who watched his whole family slaughtered just as I did. What gives you the right to make these decisions? What gives you the right to think so poorly on me?"

Naruto was bleached pale from the shock of Sasuke's boldness. How could Sasuke say such a thing to Iruka-Sensei? How could Iruka sensei say such a thing to Sasuke?

Kate-Lynn was rousing. Sakura put another needle in her. They all winced. Poor Kate-Lynn-Sama.

Meanwhile the group gathered in the main house was edging towards the dining area dinner was about to be served. Sakuragi-Sama was giving the stairs some worried looks. He had expected his wife to have returned from Rukia-chan's side by now, the children with her. Kakashi headed towards the stairs determined to find out what the hold up was about. Hopefully it wasn't anything serious otherwise he would go out hunting this night and a certain woman was going to end up in the river come the morning light.

Kakashi entered the room, took one long look then stepped back out the door shut the door then stood outside the door for a moment to compose himself.

Iruka's kimono still hanged open exposing lots and lots of dark manly flesh that made Kakashi tingle in all the right places. He pinched his nose and closed his eyes trying to banish the pervert thoughts in his head.

Though distracted by the half nakedness of the man he loved; Kakashi had still been able to capture the whole situation in a blink of an eye. He concluded they were screwed.

He meditated for a moment just breathing then he opened the door took a step back into the room. Thankfully Iruka was fully composed with his kimono tightly sealed.

"All right, thoughts anybody?" asked Kakashi.

Sakura whimpered. Naruto kept bouncing on the bed and complaining about Sasuke. Iruka sighed. Sasuke glared coolly at Kakashi, understood but unspoken "Idiot" clear in his eyes aimed at Kakashi.

"Such disrespect Tsubaru." Said Kakashi deceptively mild in tone.

"Tsubaru suggests I either henge or we kill the witness. Our mission is compromised." Said the irked Iruka.

"Quite." Kakashi clapped his hands. "All right. Here it goes. Killing is off the menu. She must live. The boss would not take kindly to her death and our mission would be even further compromised. Therefore I conclude…. Confide in her. We're a gay couple." Kakashi smiled. "There, I think we can all live with that. Just remember, its hush hush." Kakashi giggled.

Sasuke rolled his eyes again the words came out in his expression of apathy. "Idiot."

Sakura frowned. Inner Sakura threw a fit. How can he make so light of this situation? How can he say it like that? Like its no big deal?

Even in Konoha being gay isn't exactly looked well upon but it wasn't openly discouraged either. They were all ninja, except for the civilians, life was too short find love where you can. Still no one openly admitted to being homosexual, it just wasn't done and it was never treated so lightly.

Naruto looked fascinated and like he was taking some lesson just learned to heart.

Sakura shivered, she wasn't sure she wanted to know what kind of lesson Naruto had just learned. There were too many scary possibilities to take in. She didn't want to know. No way!

Sasuke looked uneasily on his would be love as well, uncertain too, like Sakura was; what could Naruto have found so fascinating and what lesson could he have possibly learned from this situation? He wasn't sure he wanted to know. Yet if Naruto had learned something than he wanted to know and yet, this was Kakashi and this was Naruto. Did he really want to… really want to know?

The kids made a quick retreat following Kakashi out the door while Kate-Lynn again began to stir to life. Iruka checked his kimono and hair for neatness. Blush firmly in place.

"Kate-Lynn Sama, I am so sorry for all of this trouble."

Kate-Lynn blinked a few times, noting the tremble of lower lip, the anguish in dark brown expressive eyes.

"Its not your fault Rukia-Chan." She immediately responded, patting Iruka's hand in her own. Trying to soothe her distraught friend. "My apologies for fainting on you. I don't know what came over me. I remember what bits of you that I saw looked very bruised, we really should get you a doctor but I understand. You are hiding your identity as a man."

Kate-Lynn made lying so easy with her assumptions, no matter how close to the truth they actually were. Iruka nodded his head quickly bowing it in shame.

"Oh Rukia-chan, don't be ashamed. You are as God made you. Whether that image is understood or not or appealing in others' eyes, you are as God made you. I understand why you must hide, especially in this village; men laying with men is considered a deep and repulsive sin. But as my Husband explained, I am not originally from this village, I am from the North and such things are tolerated, even blessed in union. You have nothing to fear from me." She hugged him. "I will tell no one of what you are. I would not see you or Kashino-Sama harmed for loving one another and trying to raise a family together!"

"Thank you, Lynn-chan, a great worry is lifted from my mind."

"So tell me, just out of curiosity, my friend, have you always dressed as a woman or is it just for this village?"

Iruka laughed. He laughed until tears ran down his cheeks because his ribs hurt and because for some strange reason he found the question hysterically funny. The loosening of tensions and the lessoning of adrenaline kicking in made Iruka giddy.

"No, I am not a woman trapped in a man's body. I am a man who loves men, or rather loves one man." Iruka suddenly grew very serious his cheeks burned even more painfully with this sudden truth. "I love Kashino-Sama, with all that I am."

(But not your whole being, little Iruka.) insisted WaterSylph, Iruka's monster. (I love Mizuki.)

The evening was spent with the rest of the Yakuza. Sakuragi gave both Iruka and Kate-Lynn looks of worry from time to time while Kakashi showed little worry at all, except when Iruka would wince by the end of the meal Kakashi knew he had to insist that they leave for Iruka's health.

Kate-Lynn gave Iruka a gentle hug and a kiss to both cheeks. "We must get together soon, Rukia-chan. So you can teach me those stitch techniques and share with me more of your stories of your children. Maybe we should do a picnic? My niece ,your three kids? When you feel up to it, of course." She insisted.

Iruka smiled and nodded. "Yes that would be lovely. I'd very much enjoy such a small get together."

"Good, its settled! Call me."

Iruka laughed. "I will."

"Take care." Said the Boss and his wife together.

Kakashi's arm was wrapped protectively around Iruka as he gave a jaunty wave of his hand and carefully helped Iruka home. Naruto already in the cart and fast asleep, Sasuke sat guard, and Sakura slept peacefully next to her two teammates. Todachi smiled and began to pull the cart home. He was a big dog and strong like a Saint Bernard. Tom and Tommy were waiting up for the little family's return. Keen eyes guarding the homestead for jealous attacks and rodents to eat.

Kakashi helped Iruka into the house and carefully medicated Iruka and bandaged his ribs.

"Bed rest." insisted Kakashi. "Cool packs, and gentle movements."

"Hai, hai, I know, I will." Replied Iruka irritated.

"Good."

"You and Sasuke, with all of your admirers, it's dangerous being involved with you."

"I'm sorry Ruka-koi. I tried my best. I warned them and don't you worry, they will pay for breaking your rib."

"I could care less about my rib." Hissed Iruka, snapping at his friend and would be lover. He clutched at his chest. The cats quickly came to his aid to give him comfort.

The cats' gold eyes looked at Kakashi like he was scum. Eyes scrutinizing and finding him lacking any kind of character at all. Claws gleamed wickedly as they sprang out of soft gentle paws in open warning.

"Get the kids. I don't want them to freeze out there and un-harness poor Todachi. He's been in the cold most of the night. I'm sure he could use a shot of whiskey and a warm blanket to snuggle up against before the fire."

"Yes dear." When Iruka was in a mood like this it was just best to snap to it and do as was told to rather than try to talk.

Todachi appreciated the alcohol and the warm blanket in front of the stoked and raging blazing fire. The house was almost stifling from the heat of the fire. The kids were tucked into bed and Iruka stayed seated in his rocking chair a recent gift from Kakashi. He rocked gently, the cats draped all around him and Todachi at his feet. Kakashi catered to Iruka's every whim throughout the next two days before he returned to his job in the Yakuza and his mission for information for the Hokage.

Iruka was careful in the market. The weather had taken a recent change for the warmer. The New Year came quickly and Iruka was less than happy to still be on this mission and away from the safety of Konoha. He felt the turn of the New Year with dread. He knew The Iruka blood line was haunted by a curse and he knew his time was limited. He wanted to be home. He wanted to be back in the Academy teaching the pre-genin and taking missions reports for the Hokage and helping his village in the ways of the paper-pusher ninja.

He missed the warmth of Konoha.

Alone walking through the market his mind in the clouds Iruka was not expecting an attack. The woman and two henchmen dragged him into a deserted alley. His rib made it hard to breathe as he struggled to free himself. He had never been a good ninja. If he had been a good ninja he never would have had the drop made on him. He never would have succumbed to this woman's attack, she never would have had the chance to drop on him if he'd been a better ninja he would have killed her before she ever had the chance to capture him.

Trapped in a dark alley in a cellar Iruka knew his situation was bleak.

"What do you want?" Hissed Iruka, biting down on a scream of pain as one of her boys smacked his injured chest.

The woman smiled cruelly her eyes took in his pain and his disarrayed kimono. She looked to her men a knife appeared from someone's holster.

Umino Iruka watched the knife's gleaming blade weave in the air before him. He was worried but unafraid. He was a ninja. He courted death he was not afraid of a knife or the death it promised him, if that was indeed the intent of the people who had him captive. Besides his own years were numbered and he rather embraced death rather than run away from it.

Again he asked. "What do you want?"

She merely smiled. Her men did the work for her.

Iruka's kimono was pink silk with white blossoms and white doves. Soon it looked as if the doves bled and the blossoms to were soon covered in red. Iruka tried to scream hoping Kakashi or someone would hear him and save him. Soon it was obvious to the little group that Iruka was impeccably male in spite of his dress.

The woman laughed and laughed. "I get it now." She gasped. "Oh my god, disgusting. Disgusting." She hissed then spat at him.

Then she looked on him almost speculative. "Maybe." She smirked. "Yes, just maybe. Do you think Kashino-sama would kill a woman carrying your child? Do you think I should make a real man out of you, eh Rukia darling?"

Iruka looked on her in horror. Her men smirked. His mind blanket itself trying to protect him from the horror of the situation he had found himself in.

The woman and her men brutalized and raped him. His screams were unanswered. His pain was not unknown he was not entirely innocent to such humiliations. Mizuki had trained him to be desensitized to such treatments. Yet he had not been touched so brutally or in such a horrible way in a long time. He couldn't take it. He couldn't live with this terrible shame, this dishonor.

"Do you think Kashino-Sama will take back a slut like you?" she asked. His body was so responsive and beautiful as it bled under her, ripe and aroused and eager for every intimate and hateful act.

"So weak."

"So pathetic."

"How could he stand to touch such a she-man like you? Why would he choose a man when a real woman stands ready to give him all that he could ever need or ever want?"

The monster, his blood-limit, struggled to come to the surface. It did not want to harm the female. She was already quickened it could smell the offspring, their offspring inside of her. A child would be a joy to them a way to make the bloodline continue. They were the last of their kind and having a child would be wonderful.

"No", hissed Umino, "she is rabid. Our child would be ill" Umino argued with the monster.

The monster scowled but smiled. "All right. As you wish. The world will be ours and ours alone without offspring to steal the blood from our lips. Such a good monster you will be Umino, my partner."

Iruka felt the ice encase him and flood over him. He heard from a distance the screams of his assailants. Blood flowed and Monster gorged. Iruka gathered his torn and shredded clothes around himself trying to hide what had been done to him from the world and what he had in turn done in an act of retribution.

He wept. He was dirty. He was evil. Their blood tainted him and made Monster stronger. His time was coming too soon.

Would it never end?

Was that all he was meant forever to be?

A monster?

A victim?

What sins had he committed in this life or in any other life before it to deserve this sort of hell on earth?

Some desperate thought came to him. He thought maybe, just maybe some kind of honorable suicide might be the answer. He wanted to be redeemed.

He wanted to wipe away the sins of the monster and his own weaknesses.

Sickened afraid and grief stricken Iruka tried to drown himself.

He jumped from the walking bridge into the large pond below. The water was cold it numbed him. His body went into shock. The blood made the water turn pink. Fish swam in terrified agitated circles trying to get away from the source of pink.

He let the water surround him and gently enter his nose and mouth and lungs.

He heard splashes felt frantic rescuers forcing him back up to the surface. Hard bodies forcing heat and air into him forcing the chill and cold water out.

He was rescued just barely in time.

"The water has ice in it!"

"The weather is too warm in spite of the winter for the pond to be frozen. There are also underground heat sources to keep the chill from entering the pond and killing the fish."

"My god! I found three bodies frozen to death in the alley just a few feet away!"

"Isn't this Kashino-sama's wife?"

"She looks like she's been attacked."

"I think she tried to kill herself."

"Oh, my lady Rukia." Wept the stall owner. "My lady, why? Why such a terrible thing? Such a sin to commit suicide. Why, why would you do such a thing?"

Quiet so quiet as to almost not be heard, her reply a rasped whisper, "Honor. For Honor."

The vendor cried harder. "No, no, my lady, no."

One of the people in the gathered crowd quickly turned to run to go get his boss he knew Kashino would want to be told immediately if something had happened to his wife. It was so horrible, so tragic!

"Kashino Sama! Kashino Sama!" One of his gang screamed urgently. "Come quick, the lady Rukia, your Lady Wife, she's been, she's…. She's been attacked. She tried to kill herself. Come quick! She's at the koi pond bridge."

Kakashi closed his eyes as pain stabbed his heart. No, not Iruka!

"Is she still alive?" he asked, voice choked with emotion he was trying hard to keep in control of.

"Yes. There are bodies too."

"Whose?"

"That bitch that attacked your lady at the Boss's house and two others but they say they were frozen to death. The very heat was leached from them but blood was drained from them as well. They say it's a terrible sight and not one eve witnessed before."

Kakashi quickened his pace and ran to Iruka's prone chilled form.

"Give me, my wife." He growled to the vendor. The old man paled blanched then was quick to give up his hold on lady Rukia to her husband.

Kakashi carried Iruka in his arms, he looked over the crime scene memorizing everything in an instant with the sharingan. He looked at the two dead men and the scars that formed a tattoo associated with the allies of sound and mist.

"I think we're done here Iruka." He whispered. He had gathered all the information they had need of. The dead woman and her two men were the ones they'd been looking for. Sakuragi and his wife were innocent. They had been infiltrated but Kakashi doubted that it would happen ever again. Sakuragi-san would be more aware now.

Iruka did not make a sound. He lay docile and lifeless in Kakashi's arms. Kakashi made the seal of teleportation and he and Iruka appeared in a quick puff of smoke back in the safety of their home.

Naruto squawked and wept in turns. "Mommy! Oh Mommy. My poor mommy."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at his boyfriend's antics. "Stop before you embarrass us any further."

"What happened to Iruka-nii?"

"I take it the mission's over? Did you find what we were looking for?" asked Sasuke.

Kakashi sighed. "Just help me get Iruka warm and dressed. Naruto, Sakura, start packing up the house. It's time to move on. We've got what we came for, now its time to leave."

TBC

Sorry for another short chapter. But the end is coming nearer. I have outlined the story now to Ten (10) chapters.  
Darn! I'm so wordy!

Tune in for next time…. What will become of fair Iruka Sensei? Will he turn to the dark forever? Will he live in despair? Or can he be saved by those who love him best and most?


	9. Chapter 9

45 reviews! I have die hard fans! My goodness, I'm so lucky : ) Thank you to my kind reviewers and readers:

Kitsune's Dark Shadow, Alika613, SongoftheDarquePhoenix, TeenagersScareMe, Zheraza, FanLover, EvanNJames

Kittendragon, Calmest Card, Black-Sky-Loves-Me, kirallie

If I've missed anyone, please forgive me. And thank you so much for loving my story. I appreciate it. Sincerely, Jazzy.

A/N: About Kate-Lynn, I shouldn't have been surprised that she would have a few admirers; after all, she is a sweet woman and she loves Iruka like a sister. Ha! ;3 (Kate-Lynn glomps Iruka and squeals like a fan girl.)

_"Poor Iruka, don't hurt jazzy, she didn't mean it. You're all man to her. I swear. Wait! No not Monster, no! Wait. Not the Frozen Ice! No! oh God! Turn up the thermostat, 80 degrees! Blanky, Jazzy needs her blanky, gasp. Aw yessss, a sauna, sweltering heat."_

_Monster scowls at Jazzy, "Get on with the story before I eat you."_

_Jazzy cowers in terror. "Of course Monster-San, no eat Jazzy please." Bow and scrape, bowing scraping. Monster scowls than disappears, Iruka sweats, Kate-Lynn still glomping her sister, Iruka._

"Wo, begging for one's life is hard work. Okay, where was Jazzy before she was threatened by angry Iruka and hungry unforgiving Monster?"

"Ah, yes, about Kate-Lynn, I know some people asked for me not to let her know the secret but, well, I don't know, the muse took me there. So I did it. I'm thinking of going back and doing an Alternate Universe chapter for ch.8. Where they must hide his secret from her and come up with a plausible lie. Jazzy thinks it might be very fun to do. But we'll see.

Also, Jazzy, like a few of Kate-Lynn's fans, (Kate-Lynn squeals, I got fans, oh my goodness!) Jazzy glares at Kate-Lynn. "Stop trying to take over Jazzy's thoughts. Jazzy likes you but if you keep taking her thoughts she will have no choice but to punish you, severely!" Kate-Lynn hides behind the short Iruka) "Kate-Lynn and Iruka's friendship will prevail!"

Chapter 8 was very difficult. I'm still not entirely happy with it. Ah, perfectionist, streak, it's so rare to shut it up, and it wont shut up on ch.8. But I have to write ch.9 and ch.10, I must finish the story! Wait this is ch.9! Yes and Jazzy had it ready for her readers. Now for ch.10 still waiting for final touches.

Jazzy must be strong. And then Jazzy must finish Stuck in Darkness and Not Strong Enough. Jazzy gots no clue where Not Strong Enough came from and she gots no clue how to continue it! AAAAAHHHH! Frustration.

Stuck in Darkness though that ones coming along nicely. Yeah!

And if anyone here who reads my Naruto fics happens to like InuYasha fics, (shameless advertising, here) I happen to have written a couple of InuYasha fics. WIPs of course! But please go take a look and review, if you want to. I would love to hear something about what people think. No Flames though. :S

Also, final note, I am very wordy today, but this is the last note. In Chapter 6, I have Kakashi singing a song to his Iruka Koi; well Jazzy forgot to label it! Eek! I just finished lecturing a colleague about plagiarism and Jazzy remembered something she forgot to do, Ch.6's song, Not Her Creation. Nope. It old song, belong to, Ricky Nelson or the Platters or someone from the 1950s. Jazzy has the Malt Shop Collection. She likes old songs. Jazzy not old though, not yet, anyway, heh, (eyebrow wiggle). :3  
End A/N

Let the story and Angstfest continue, and ch.10 and it will be complete. Yeah!

**

* * *

Chapter Nine**

Kakashi is shaken. Naruto starts to ball his eyes out. Sasuke holds him tightly. Kakashi holds Iruka in his arms. He knows the monster came out. He knows Iruka has killed. But he did it when he was out of his mind.

The monster's words kept popping up in his mind. "Ever wonder why he doesn't take missions, with his strength he'd be an asset to Konohagure, but he's never asked to go, ever wonder why?" The creature smiled, cold, chill, he seemed almost pleased. "When he kills, it makes me stronger. Time's almost up."

Kakashi washed away the blood, letting him soak into the heated water for a while, washing him in strong aromatic therapeutic aromas, and then he dried him and sat down behind Iruka and brushed his hair for another couple of hours pouring all of his love and strength into Iruka.

"You're strong. You're so much stronger than this Iruka." Kakashi whispered encouraging. "The monster won't win." He repeated. It was a mantra for them both. "You had a set back, those things happen, but it won't happen again. Like Naruto I have faith in you. I love you."

Iruka was despondent. He was too quiet and unresponsive even with Tom and Tommy purring and rubbing against him. Kakashi felt a sense of foreboding he wanted to make them hurry but he suspected that any sort of rushing would make things worse for Iruka. They bundled Iruka in the large quilt and tucked into the cart with the rest of their belongings. As much as they wanted to hurry, they didn't dare. Their identities were still in tact. Kakashi simply told the neighbors they were returning to Iruka's parent's home village where his wife could be helped and surrounded by happier memories.

Sakuragi's wife came rushing to their house. She saw their things being packed up and loaded on the cart, three boxes and several blankets and Iruka huddled with two big cats standing sentinel at his side. The family dog was hooked up to the cart and looked sad. Kate-Lynn's heart ached at the sight before her. She did not think she would see Rukia again after today. It made her want to weep. Her feelings surprised her with how deep they were. She barely knew Rukia. She had enjoyed the few hours they had spent at the party and the one phone call since the party.

"Kate-Lynn Sama." Greeted Kakashi noticing his x-boss's wife standing statue still in front of their abandoned home and the cart, with a look of deep sadness and shock on her face.

"Kashino-San." She greeted politely in turn, giving him a half bow. "I just heard and I came as quickly as I dared. I see that you are leaving us. How is Rukia-chan?"

"The attack has not done well for her mental well being. I'm taking her back to her parents' home in the water country. I have not told Sakuragi-Sama that I am leaving yet. I know he will not take the news well."

Kate Lynn nodded. "It is true but Sakuragi-Sama also understands your love for your wife. He will greatly miss you and the strength you bring to his organization but I will gently break the news to him for you so that he may accept it with more grace that you will be leaving us, is that not correct, Kakashi-Sama." She whispered. "Your mission is done?"

Kakashi's eye widened a tiny bit the only indicators that he was shocked that she knew who he was. "I see, and Yes." replied Kakashi, biting down on a smirk. "You really do know everything."

"Sakuragi-Sama hides nothing from me. Or rather he is incapable of keeping secrets from me. There is nothing that he does not know that I do not know. But what I know sometimes he does not know. I will miss your company Kashino-San but mostly I will miss Rukia. She very quickly became a sister to me. I will miss her a great deal. But I will pray that she becomes well soon so that I might see her again in the future."

Kakashi bowed respectfully to Kate-Lynn. "Thank you, Kate-Lynn Sama, Rukia-chan very much liked you in return I am sure that knowing that you pray for her will help her to an even more speedier recovery."

Kate-Lynn smiled sweetly. "I'm sure that it will but not more so than her husband's love for her will do. Love heals all things." She said confidently.

Kakashi blinked then smiled. "You believe so?" he asked.

"I know so." She replied sternly.

Kakashi had nothing he could say to that. Her faith seemed strong. Her eyes stared boldly into his own, willing him to believe as she did, to know as she knew. Kakashi took a sharp breath then nodded.

"I believe you."

The kids lined up at the cart packs on their backs. Each with an air of worry or concern, each one with a look given to the cart and to their fragile mother.

"Well, I guess its' time to go. Rukia-chan will send you letters when she is well again, I am sure of that. She very much liked you."

"I look forward to it." Insisted Kate-Lynn. She stared into the unfocused pain filled eyes of her friend. "Rukia, please get well soon. I want to talk to you again and be in your presence again, in the future. You are now and you will forever be my dearest friend."

Each child bowed to Kate-Lynn giving her well wishes then they turned towards home and began to walk, the cart easily keeping pace with their little legs. Kakashi at the head of the small procession.

**

* * *

KATE-LYNN**

Kate-Lynn waved at them until they disappeared over a hill and then she too turned towards her home and her mind turned to husband who she knew will be greatly saddened to have the great copy ninja no longer in his gang. She did not look forward to her husband's melancholy over losing such a great guy. Sakuragi-Sama had really liked Kakashi, or rather Kashino-san. She smiled. She loved her husband but he could really be dense some times.

The silly man still seemed to have no comprehension that Kashino was Kakashi of Konohagure. Sakuragi thought he was still waiting to hear from the Hidden Leaf Village's ninja.

-flashback-

Sakuragi was steamed that Kakashi was such a lazy ninja. Sakuragi –Sama wanted his money back from Konohagure.

"That copy ninja never even reported in to me!" he growled.

"But Husband, was not one of the parameters of the assignment being that Kakashi's presence not be noticed?" she asked him.

Sakuragi had gurgled, face faulted, then he pouted for another two days.

"Still I would have liked meeting such a dangerous fellow." He sighed.

End Flash back

Kate-Lynn smirked. Eyes a twinkle. Face soft with love. She loved her husband even if he could be very dense.

**

* * *

KAKASHI-x-IRUKA**

Iruka's tried to kill himself during their journey back to Konoha. Kakashi was keeping an even closer eye on him, closer than ever before he was out of his mind with worry. But it seemed not to be helping matters any. Iruka was just getting sneakier andmore determined with every failed attempt. Tom, Tommy, Tomodachi, and Pakkun as well were drafted to keep a close eye on the suicidal chunin. Thier journey was tense and nothing at all fun like their previous one had been. Kakashi could not lose Umino Iruka.

**

* * *

ATTEMPT ONE**

The water was deceptively calm. The kids were splashing about. Iruka had seemed at least for the afternoon to come back a little from that dark place he'd withdrawn to within himself. They had let their guard down.

Kakashi should have known better. If it hadn't been for Tomodachi diving into the lake at the screeched commands of the two calicos Iruka would have once more have drowned. Tomodachi did all the struggling for both the chunin and himself. He swam strongly, giant jaws gripping silk kimono and shoulder bone, dragging the dying chunin to land.

Kakashi and Naruto proceeded to mouth to mouth resuscitation and massage of the chest to induce breathing. They then turned Iruka onto his side when the first cough and spout of water came out. Naruto was crying.

"Why, why?" he wept dejectedly.

Iruka glared out at the dog that had rescued him and glared at Kakashi.

"I'm not the one who upset Naruto." Said the copy ninja.

Crushing guilt settled once again over Iruka. But he couldn't help commenting. "You should have just let me die."

Iruka proceeded to withdraw again from them. Sasuke glared at the weak chunin. He was angry with Iruka for upsetting Naruto. But most of all he was angry with Iruka for giving up and for not being the rock on which they all relied on. He hated that Iruka had scared them all.

Sasuke hated that he cared for Iruka at all. He hated that Iruka's near death had terrified him as strongly as it had frightened Sakura and Naruto and Kakashi. Sasuke hated the weakness he felt growing within himself.

Emotions.

Emotions that Naruto had brought out in him and Iruka had only made grow stronger. Emotions could kill a ninja. Iruka was ruled by his emotions and he was going to die for it.

**

* * *

ATTEMPT TWO**

It was a night like any other the journey was into its fourth week and they were half way home, water country was only a couple of days a head. Kakashi wanted to give Iruka another short vacation in his homelands. Yet Kakashi didn't want to take a boat ride this time or let Iruka anywhere near the waters. Iruka was so quiet and still so depressed. Kakashi had been vigilant as had the rest of his little soldiers. Iruka had not been given any opportunities for another try at suicide.

Naruto was trying to get his sensei to smile but it wasn't working. Naruto hugged Iruka often and told him every day how much he loved his Iruka-nii, but it seemed that nothing was getting through to the stubborn chunnin. Kakashi held Iruka close every night and whispered his own words of love and devotion. Iruka stayed emotionless and still as stone.

Kakashi was growing frustrated. What was he missing here? How could he make Iruka choose life over death? How did he keep the monster from taking over if Iruka won't fight anything any more?

"Don't give up Kakashi-sensei." Insisted Sakura. "Somewhere deep down all of our love is giving Iruka-Sensei the will to stay with us. We can't give up. We will overcome this and Iruka-Sensei will come back to us. I know he will."

Naruto was making Ramen for Iruka, chatting at his silent still sensei. "Ramen always makes everything better Iruka-nii, that's what you always said to me, and it does. It works all the time. It's better than medicine! You believe it!" The boy grinned his foxy manic grin.

Kakashi thought the boy might honestly believe that if he fed Iruka enough ramen it would force the chunnin back to health or drive him so crazy that he would yell or do something other than sit there like a snail on a log. It was moments like these that Kakashi thought Naruto was insane.

"Ramen isn't going to make him better." Hissed Sasuke angrily.

Naruto looked at Sasuke in some shock. He looked torn between deciding to cry or losing his temper and deciding on beating his teammate to death. In the end Naruto did neither. He stiffly turned his back on Sasuke and put forth all of his efforts into making the ramen. Sasuke watched Naruto with a look of pain in his eyes.

"Iruka-nii is the same as me." Insisted Naruto stubbornly. "Ramen always makes everything better. You'll see."

Sasuke shook his head then returned to his own moping in the nearest tree in its highest branches.

The campfire burned low but very warm. Iruka sat in front of the fire not even blinking. Kakashi stood watch at the camp's edge, trusting Sasuke to interfere if Iruka decided another attempt to die was in order.

Iruka wished for once that his nature was that of a more deceptive person. He was too honest and too good for his own good. It was another failing and another reason why he never went on missions. He'd almost single handedly made this mission an almost failure. He had no doubts that if he'd not been present things would have gone more smoothly and less time consuming for team seven.

Iruka knew he was a drain on this team. He knew he was worthless and he shouldn't live anymore. It was only a matter of a 24 months maybe less and the monster would come out this time permanently. Iruka knew that if he took his life he'd be saving lives. Why couldn't Kakashi understand that?

Why couldn't Kakashi understand that he just wanted to die?

Iruka looked at the fire and thought, hell why not? He wanted the fire to blaze high. He wanted it to burn white hot so that he could die faster and be ash in moments. He wanted the flames to clean him and purify him. He wanted the flames to burn away the memories of all of his failures.

Iruka wanted that fire to consume him and to consume the taint in his blood. He wanted that fire to end his suffering and to put an end to the memories of those people. He knew they were bad people they had deserved to die for what they had done to him. He knew they were bad people who had probably hurt others in the way that they had hurt him and yet, he felt sickened with himself for being so weak and so stupid for getting trapped so easily and having to rely on the monster to save him.

He wanted those flames to burn him to ashes. He wanted all of this pain and all of this taint ended. With a few hand signs and guttural murmur the fire jumped to Iruka's commands it blazed more hotly than before.

Sasuke tackled him to the ground before he could standup fully and walk into the flames. Sasuke hand signed a jutsu and the fire was denied oxygen and snuffed out.

"No more fires for a while. I guess." Said Kakashi, voice a monotone, lifeless. He tried to hide how shaken he was. How could Iruka want to die like that? Fire was not anyone's idea of a good way to die. Not that there were very many good ways to die. Who wanted to die when there was so much to be done and so many to protect? How could Iruka throw away his oaths?

Kakashi wanted to shake some sense into his koibito but he found he couldn't bring his fists up. He couldn't do that to Iruka. He couldn't become like Mizuki. Not even if it meant saving Iruka's life. Though Kakashi doubted that a thrashing would bring Iruka to his senses any way. Iruka wasn't in his right senses to begin with and thrashing him wasn't going to help him, even if it might, just might make Kakashi feel a little better.

"I can't let you die, Iruka. I love you." He said determinedly.

Iruka wept. His fists pounded into the dirt. He just wanted to die. Why wouldn't anyone just let him die?

Kakashi would not be deflected as he draped himself over Iruka and whispered again the words of devotion, the words in his breaking heart.

"I love you. I love you so much."

He tied Iruka up and would continue to do so for the next several nights to keep the chunin from trying to off himself again.

* * *

**ATTEMPT THREE**

Iruka had been released from his ropes for the time being only if he behaved of course. Iruka plotted and thought about other ways to suicide but with everyone keeping such a vigilant and close eye on him he was given little hope of finding away to suicide without at least one of his friends interfering in time again to save his life. He moped.

Soon Team Seven was under attacked by bandits and missing ninjas. Ninja were everywhere Kakashi couldn't get them all. Tomodachi and Pakkun helped as well as a few more summonses and jutsus. Sasuke was strong in the fight, sharingan and fire jutsus coming to his aid as well as a few thrown kunai. Naruto's special techniques as well and Sakura fiercely protected her comrades as well, determined to be a help rather than a hindrance.

Iruka may have wanted to die but he didn't want to see team seven die before him. Iruka brought forth a few more summons of his own. Snow and ice seemed to permeate the air around them. One of Iruka's eyes was frost while the other was warm and dark as was his usual eye color but it glowed with a light of determination.

A snow leopard and a Siberian tiger came to his call, larger older cousins to the calicos, Tom and Tommy. The cats roared and took delight in the fight. Guarding kits and master. They ripped into the enemy before them savage and beautiful; blood sprayed the land wherever they leaped a ninja died quickly. Iruka drew forth a couple of fans and deflected thrown shurikan and kunai defensive moves only. He didn't have much chakra left. But he was going to die in battle. He was going to die defending his kids. It was the way he'd always dreamed of going.

Sakura watched the fans and drew out her own and copied a few of Iruka's moves. The moves he'd been teaching her not long ago, since Christmas. She smiled in delight as she manipulated her own chakra and brought out a full powered gust of wind force from her fans. The ninja nearest found his weapons deflected and turning backward to imbed themselves in his own body, one of his kunai found his own throat and he was dead moments later from the poisoned tips.

"Don't let any of the weapons touch you." Screamed Sakura. "They're poison dipped"

Iruka's fans took a beating but they weren't ordinary fans, they were heavy fans with steel bans and weapons imbedded in their folds. He drew out senbon after senbon and threw his darts at the enemy. A couple went down but still more was coming. He folded his fans and used them as batons, using them as an extension of his arms to beat someone over the head or thrust into their stomachs. He threw kicks in intervals, breaking bones and a neck here and there. He was tiring quickly. He had not trained for a prolonged fight in a long time. He had not been an active ninja in a long time not since his gennin days. He was a teacher not a fighter but the real reason he was losing strength so quickly was that he hadn't been taking care of himself like he should have been these past few months but most especially these last few weeks. His strength was near its end.

Kakashi was suddenly in front of him, as well as three more clones throughout the battle field. Dogs howled and attacked. Tiger and Leopard prowled and leaped, Tom and Tommy working as a team ripped one more ninja to shreds. Naruto kage bunshin, dozens of clones working in teams and alone scattered throughout the field taking down as many as he could. Sasuke kunai and jutsus blazing across taking down three more ninja, and Sakura with her own fan and fist beating her own number of ninja. For a moment Iruka was proud of his achievements, proud to have such wonderful friends with him and he knew without doubt that today was not going to be his day to die at enemy ninja's hands. Today team seven would be victorious.

Kakashi battled kunai to sword. Iruka sighed and pulled out his own blade from the darkness. The blade was strong and curved, The Katana had been forged, it was said in the hottest fires of hell and cooled in the arctic ice waters of the coldest well in the demonic realm, and it was passed down from one Iruka to the next for a thousand years. The Katana's blade was made of folded metal and it would never dull or break.

Sasuke's eyes took in the sudden appearance of the blade with an intake of quickly hidden shocked breath. Naruto smiled knowingly. Iruka's chakra was depleted even more and he was close to blackout but he wanted to finish this fight. He wanted for once to be something more than a hindrance or a failure. He wanted to die in battle and with his father's sword.

"Today I want to use my Father's sword. Today I want to die with honor." He explained. "And though you are not half worthy to see even a glimpse of this blade I know that today I will die in battle defending my people." It was a beautiful speech but spoken in error because Kakashi was not going to let Umino Iruka die. Not today and not tomorrow and not ever.

Iruka was skilled and deadly. He was swift and confident. He struck without fear and with easy grace. His blade sliced and wove its way around the other's sword and found its way into the other's stomach. Iruka frowned disappointed. He had hoped for more from his opponent. Within moments Iruka had defeated his enemy and sent his head flying from his body. The last of the enemy was dispatched and Iruka collapsed to his knees.

His summonses stood regal sentinel next to his fallen form. Each one gently lapping at the blood on Iruka's skin and clothes. Tongues that could literally strip skin from bones were gently licking and caring for the unstable sensei. The two giant cats shared a look than sighed. They could taste the other one waiting below the surface. It had grown ill and powerful over time. They looked into Iruka's eyes and saw something else in the depths therein; they would not interfere with Umino's release. The monster could not be allowed to come out not unless it was properly chained and bonded to its host. They each purred and rubbed one last time against the young sensei then seemed to give the little calicos, well little compared to the giant cats, some kind of warning or order and then they poofed out of the scene.

Life was so unfair. What did one have to do to die in this world? He looked at his father's sword in his hand and smiled serenely. His strength was nearly gone but perhaps just maybe there was enough left that he could…. As if reading his thoughts Sasuke and Kakashi both tackled the chunin, Kakashi yanking the sword form his hands while Sasuke threw a punch to his jaw. Iruka gasped in pain then fell over unconscious.

Sakura scowled at both sensei and crush. "He has chakra depletion! Why the hell did you attack Iruka sensei?!" Her fists came up as if to strike them both for idiots.

Naruto growled and attacked Sasuke. "How dare you! How dare you!" he screamed. "Don't you dare hit Iruka nisama!" he roared and attacked Sasuke full force, well as fully as he could with his own chakra levels being low and near depletion as well.

Sasuke managed to have some chakra on reserve, he'd found his opponents less than adequate for full chakra use. He defended himself well against Naruto's attacks. Sakura suddenly put an end to it all with a few well placed power punches to both young men's heads.

"Stop it!" she roared. "The both of you just stop it. Iruka sensei would not like this if he knew you were fighting." She pleaded near tears.

Kakashi was busy packing up the cart again and tucking Iruka in to blankets and tying him down so he wouldn't try to die again.

"Sakura, get in to the cart and attend to Iruka sensei. He needs your help. He has some injuries along with his chakra depletion."

Sakura was quick to obey Kakashi.

"Let's go." Ordered Kakashi. "We're going to pick up our pace. Our plans have changed. We're not going to be stopping off in the water lands like I had originally planned. We need to get Iruka back to the leaf village and get him hospitalized."

Naruto protested.

Kakashi growled. "Don't Naruto, not now. Don't argue with me on this. We have no more choice. He isn't well. I should have ended the mission back in the beginning when he first showed signs of instability. This is my fault."

Naruto looked ready to cry again. Sasuke's arm went around Naruto's shoulders but Naruto shrugged his arm off and glared at Sasuke. Then he stalked ahead of the cart.

Growling over his shoulder at Sasuke. "Don't come near me. I'm mad at you right now."

Sasuke sighed then glared at the cart then glared at their surroundings. With a wave of his hands and a few finger wiggles he created the symbol for fire blaze jutsu. The battlefield was instantly washed clean in a wave of fire that lasted just long enough to destroy all the evidence of bodies and blood then it went out leaving the rest of the clearing untouched.

Kakashi couldn't help finding a small bit of humor in the show of power. A little lover's spat, eh. Then his mind turned back to its own turmoil.

Umino. My Iruka, don't give up. Don't give in. Don't die. I won't like it if you die. I don't want to visit you at the stone monument with Obito and Rin and Sensei. I don't want to speak to your ghost.

The night was tense with emotions. The children are very worried. Sasuke couldn't help but make some snide and heartless remarks. He was still upset that Naruto wouldn't let him near him or even hold his hand any more. He was also still very much angry with Iruka for being weak and suicidal.

Kakashi lost his temper. The temper he'd been trying to keep in check since Iruka's first suicide attempt. He almost beat Sasuke to death however Naruto interfered and through some kind of miracle he manages to keep Kakashi from losing it totally and murdering Sasuke for his comments.

"Just because I protected you doesn't mean I aint mad at you, Sasuke teme, bastard! You don't say those things about Iruka." He roared. While he bandaged the irritable and heartless Uchiha. "I don't know what it is that I even see in you! Sometimes you're so hateful and sometimes I hate you a lot. But I love you teme, so don't piss Kakashi-sensei off so badly that he tries to kill you. All right."

"He wants to die Naruto. He's weak. It is only the truth and you know it." Growled Sasuke, near actual tears. Why did life always have to come to this? Why was there so much weakness? I'm humiliated. I should have been able to protect myself without Naruto's help. How come he was able to keep Kakashi from finishing me and I wasn't able to do it myself?

"Okasan's not in his right head right now. When he's better he'll be stronger. You believe it! You'll see. I got faith in that. Believe it!"

Kakashi kept throwing them hateful looks over the top of his Itcha Itcha Paradise. His nerves were so shot he could barely keep his eyes on the shaking words in his book. Tomodachi sat at his feet trying to sooth his irritated and angry master.

Tommy and Tom glared out from the cart at the people making all the noise. "Hey!" they meowed. Growling. "There's a sick man trying to heal in this cart ya know. So pipe it down, pip squeaks." They hissed.

Tomodachi seemed to literally deflate and tried to scrunch down into as tiny a ball of fur as he could. Kakashi glared at the cats then glared at his dog.

"What kind of dog takes orders from cats?" he asked.

"The kind that don't want its nose clobbered." Said the cats. Sniffing and stiffening their tails giving both the master and the dog their most disdainful looks reserved only for the most idiotic beings in the universe.

"Yes, of course, why didn't I think of that." Said Kakashi quietly, almost nervously. This time hiding for certain in the pages of his book. Pakkun scowled at his master and at Tomodachi, disgusted. Beaten into submission by a pair of cats. It was despicable! And embarrassing!

* * *

The journey couldn't be over soon enough, everyone agreed on that. As they finally came up to the gates of the hidden leaf village they were each very happy to find that they were at long last home again.

Kakashi wasn't quite sure how he was going to approach the topic of Iruka's break down with the Hokage. He was helpless and didn't know how to deal with that. For the first time in a long time, since his team days and his father's death and since the nine-tail attack Kakashi was helpless and didn't know what to do nor could he seem to find the right words to explain all that had happened since their mission and after it.

Tsunade took one look at him and at Iruka and the gennins. She shook her head. "Don't even try to explain it to me Kakashi. Take your time with your report. I assume the trouble makers are dead. Sakuragi-Sama's wife sent a note to use days ago by hawk letting us know she was very pleased with your work."

"Now all of you go home and take a well deserved rest. Kakashi and I will tend to Iruka sensei."

The medical ninja came in to the office carefully. They had nothing but compassionate looks on their faces and in their eyes.

"So you know about Iruka-sensei?" asked Kakashi, tired.

Tsunade nodded. "Kate-Lynn spoke of it slightly in her letter. But I am also aware of the Iruka Family medical history. He's very near that very dangerous time for him, Kakashi. I probably never should have sent him out on that mission with you, knowing how close to his time he is. But he was the only logical one I could think of. He has a bond with those three gennin brats of yours and he's even weaseled his way into your heart Kakashi. I knew there were some risks, one of those risks that being your heart Kakashi but we needed this mission to succeed and I am well pleased to say that you and your team have done an excellent job of it."

"Where will you be taking Umino?" asked Kakashi, feeling strangely defeated somehow.

The ninja were already helping Iruka out of the office.

"He'll be held in a comfortable and guarded room until he is healed." Replied the Hokage gently.

"A prison?" asked Kakashi woodenly. He didn't want to imagine Iruka was in a prison cell. Thrown away in a dark pit.

"No, of course not! How could you think that I would do such a thing to that precious chunnin?" said Tsunade, askance and quickly, a little on the defensive side. Kakashi's glare made the Hokage frown in a sort of pout.

"Alright, all right, you got me. All right yes, it's a gilded prison cell, yes, at the hospital in the sanitarium. Alright happy now? Is that really what you wanted to hear Hatake-kun?"

"No, but he needs to go there, so yes that's what I needed to hear. Will you allow visitors?" answered Kakashi pained.

"After the official observation time ends, yes." Replied Tsunade. "I'm glad that you understand Hatake."

The jounin didn't bother to reply this time he simply nodded then with a wave of his hand he turned to walk out of the Hokage's office.

**

* * *

UMINO IRUKA**

Iruka pleasantly lazed away his days. The drugs they gave him helped his mind to fade out a lot. It was kind of pleasant in an odd kind of way. He didn't have to think about anything at all. It kind of reminded him in a weird way of his times with Mizuki. Mizuki hadn't let him think for himself either but at least here he was on drugs and he was so relaxed and so well, not happy really, but he wasn't hearing the monster any more and it was so peaceful here and so quiet.

When he wasn't doped up he worried.

"What about my kids at the academy, whose looking after them with me on this vacation?"

The nurses were always pleasant but professional.

"Your kids will be fine. The Hokage has taken care of everything. I promise now give me your arm its medicine time." She said gently smiling kindly at him. Iruka frowned but did as she asked.

"When can I return to the academy? The kids need me." He would beg anxiously.

"Just rest now Iruka-Sensei, everything will be alright." Insisted the caretakers. "When you're well again you can go back and take up your duties once more. I promise." They would say.

Visitors were rare and usually adults with get-well gifts from his students. No one was allowed to stay for long and no one with less than a high chunin level was allowed to visit him. Kakashi came often but he was upset by Iruka's state.

"What day is it? Did Christmas come already?" Iruka asked, befuddled.

Kakashi was carefully rearranging yet one more vase of new flowers as he replied "Yes, its come and gone, its three months now, Ruka-Koi."

"When can I see the children? Why hasn't Naruto come to visit me?" he asked frustrated. Then concerned, he asked. "Is Naruto alright?"

Kakashi smiled at Iruka and nodded. "Yes, Umino, Naruto is all right. He will come to visit you when they allow him to."

Iruka wasn't pleased with Kakashi's answer. "I need to see Naruto. He was supposed to arrive back from that mission; we were supposed to have ramen together. They can't just keep us apart like this can they? Its not right. Naruto needs me." Said Iruka anxiously, fretting painfully.

It was slips like this that frightened Kakashi. This hospital didn't seem to be good for Iruka.

"You already did that Iruka-sensei, remember? I agree its not right but they want to make sure that you wont hurt Naruto when he comes to visit you."

"I would never hurt Naruto!" cried the mortified chunin, pain flashed in his eyes and in his expression. "Never. He's my child. I didn't let Mizuki hurt him…. I mean…. I -I tried to keep Mizuki from hurting him. I really did. I-I just wasn't fast enough, but I tried, I-I really tried. They can't keep Naruto away from me for that, can they? Is that why I'm here?"

Kakashi bit down on his lower lip tasting blood. He told himself that he would not cry. He hated seeing Iruka like this. This was Iruka during Mizuki's time with him. A young frightened youth a pale reflection of the blossom that Iruka turned into.

"No, you're here for rest. Not because of anything that happened to Naruto." Insisted Kakashi soothingly.

Iruka played with his long hair and gazed out of the large barred window. "Why am I in a cage? Did I do something wrong? Was I bad?"

Iruka looked so dreadfully sad.

Once again Kakashi insisted. "No. It wasn't your fault. This is a place for you to rest and get well. You've done nothing bad or wrong."

The nurse came in letting him know that visitation was over for the day.

Other chunin and jounin were slowly filing out the main doors all of them friends of Iruka's. All of them hoping and wanting their friend to get well, all of them had wanted to see visit Iruka. They came daily. Sometimes one or two were allowed in at a time but not every day.

There were a few days here and there when no one had been allowed to visit Iruka at all. Because he was having one of his bad days. Bad days meaning that Monster was surfacing and in control that Monster had killed a nurse and that Iruka had to be put down with stronger drugs. But today had been one of his good days and a couple of them had been allowed to visit him, out of that couple only Kakashi had stayed the longest.

**

* * *

KAKASHI HATAKE **

"Seal him. Cut off his chakra. Do something, anything." Begged Kakashi desperately. "I can't stand seeing him like this."

Tsunade looked at him with all of her sympathies.

"We can't, brat." She replied seeming defeated as well. "Its more than just a blood-limit or chakra flaw. No one knows what it is, just that it is always there in the Iruka bloodline and it comes out by the time they're thirty and most Iruka die before they hit that age. Their death is the only thing that keeps the monster from coming." Said Tsunade. "I'm sorry, Kakashi, there's nothing we can do."

"Two years, two years is all that we're going to have?!" demanded Kakashi. "No! Unacceptable! There must be a way to contain it. Something must be done. Umino should not be locked away in that place! He needs to be free Tsunade. I can take care of him. Please let me take him home and take care of him, please. I can't bear seeing him like this."

"Do you think it so easy Kakashi? None of us wishes to see Iruka-san like this. But this is the only safe place we can keep him until… until his end." Said Tsunade, sadly.

"Something has to be done. The Hyuuga Clan can see within, can't they do something for him; maybe they can find the flaw and surgically remove it with some sort of chakra attack? What about Jeraiya-sama? He's a master at seals. He must be able to do something." Kakashi begged her.

"Please we can't give up." I cannot lose him like this.

Tsunade bowed her head. Her eyes were filling with a great sadness. "I'm sorry Hatake, truly sorry."

Kakashi refused to accept that there was nothing to be done. Iruka would not enjoy living in a hospital under guard with overseen visitation. Iruka was not weak. Iruka would beat this monster. They would defeat the monster together.

**

* * *

IRUKA UMINO, MONSTER?**

Iruka was in hospital sedated. He was in a nice little room and the nurses were kind, even if he was sedated most of the time and he felt a little out of touch with reality. He was drugged all the time. He felt so out of it.

"When can I go back to teaching?" he asked, mind fading.

No one answered.

She came back the next day. She brushed his hair and chatted with him in a gentle manner. Iruka smiled shyly.

"Kakashi and Sakura and Sasuke and even Naruto really seemed to like to brush my hair too." He commented blushing. "Naruto especially likes to make me Ramen. We had a good little family. I wish I could have been a better mother to them. Naruto is such a good son to me." He whispered wistfully. Every day in this place made it hard to concentrate. His recent memories began to feel more like a fading dream than reality.

The monster smiled, the nurse froze in place, lowered eyelids opened to reveal cold ice eyes, Iruka's skin started to pale. The wraith was looking out from its host.

"Naruto really is a good son. He takes care of us and soon he will do so much more for us. He will sustain us. His chakra and his blood."

Iruka shivered as he came back to himself the nurse was near death. The heat of her body had been sucked out of her. They were both very cold. Almost as if they'd been caught in a blizzard in snow country.

Tsunade came in she scowled at the situation. Kakashi and Naruto barreled in after her.

Naruto's chakra flared as did Kakashi's. Kakashi took Iruka into his arms and held him tight, forcing heat into his chilled near hypothermic body. Tsunade went to work on the dying nurse.

"What happened? Asked Iruka confused. "Why is it so cold in here? Oh, Kakashi-sama, I'm freezing." Gasped Iruka. His teeth chattering, body shivering.

"You'll be alright, everything's going to be alright." insisted Kakashi, desperately near panic for the jounin. He suffused Iruka in his chakra, trying to feed him enough fire chakra to keep his temperature from dropping dangerously low and sending Iruka into a deadly sleep.

Naruto was looking on the scene in horror. He had come to visit Iruka, fed up with being told no over the last three months he'd finally been able to break into the hospital and he'd been about to visit his Niisan when the alarms had gone off. What had the WaterSylph, what had Iruka done? He could feel Iruka was losing the battle and too soon to the monster within. The freezing temperatures of the room made the boy shiver. But nothing chilled him more than the cold in his Iruka's eyes.

"His temperature is dropping." Rasped Kakashi. "Tsunade-sama, please, I can't get him warm. Help me."

"I can't. I have a medical ninja I have to save first." Hissed Tsunade.

Naruto flared brightly, his fox fire burned the room and drove its heat in an unforgiving pounding stream into Iruka Sensei. Iruka screamed in agony. Kakashi trembled and held on to Iruka.

"Stop Naruto. Stop. My god, stop! Show your sensei some mercy." He growled. Glaring at the boy whose whiskers had grown and eyes turned red with the fire of the fox come to life within him.

"I'm saving Iruka Sensei." Said the demon. "And frying some watersylph ass!" he growled. "All at the same time."

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

**See ya next time for the finale!** Thank you for reading and reviewing. :D  
I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! SOB! SOB! SOB! 


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Note:** For anyone with concerns that I might have used Iruka's name in error, allow me to explain my thoughts on how I came up with the ways I used these names. I just learned that indeed the Japanese translated into the English, was done as if it were American forms of address instead of Japanese forms, though they do keep some forms of Japanese address within the English Translations.

Forms of respectful address: Uzumaki Naruto; Uchiha Sasuke; Haruno Sakura, for Chunin exams and for Team seven. In Japan names are done Last name first. So when we first meet Iruka and he is constantly addressed as Iruka, I thought that Iruka was his last name. Kakashi does not like to be known by his last name Hatake because of his father's legacy so he likes to be addressed **informally** as Kakashi, he introduces himself as Kakashi of the clan Hatake, but call me Kakashi, or something to that effect in the books. But when others address Iruka, they call him Master Iruka, **Formal**, indicating that that is his last name or so I thought at the time. But I am mistaken. A colleague who has done a lot of studying of the Japanese and has studied Naruto a lot, has let me know most kindly that indeed Iruka though addressed **formally** is also being addressed informally as Iruka, and Iruka is Iruka's first name.

Japan is a very complex, very formal society and they have a lot of social graces and ways of conduct. I believe that in Japan per custom and culture through strict forms of conduct as signs of respect, they would never refer to a person by their first name unless they were family or a very close friend, or else given express permission to call them by first name. And that was why I logically thought that Iruka's name was LastName: Iruka First Name: Umino. However that is _incorrect_. LastName: Umino, FirstName: Iruka would be the correct way of using Iruka's name._(oh, man, lots of rewriting to do!)  
_End A/N

* * *

"_Dream Dream Dream_

_When I want you in my arms_

_When I hold you and all your charms_

_All I have to do is Dream_

_I can make you mine_

_Taste your lips of wine_

_Any time, night or day_

_Only trouble is, gee wiz,_

_I'm dreaming my life away_

_I need you so_

_I love you so"_

Everly Brothers  
(Malt Shop Collection)

**

* * *

CHAPTER TEN**

The guilt of killing medical ninja would have been heavy on his soul if he even remembered doing such a thing. But drugs and the monster's force was taking its full weight on him.

Kakashi's singing kept impeding on him and filling his head but Kakashi seemed to be no where near him today.

He wondered if the nurses would take him outside later. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. Sun rise was gorgeous, gold and oranges, and scarlet leaking into blue, pale blue and cloudless. Iruka smiled as he braided thread into a thick bracelet of woven colors into a pattern. They wouldn't allow him needles just the thread. He liked to work with his hands it was very nice and it calmed him in so many ways.

The threads would break if he tried to hurt himself or others though. Someone had cast a jutsu over the threads. Even thickly woven as they were now in the beginning of a friendship bracelet he knew from experience that if he tried to do harm the threads broke easily leaving the assaulted and the self inflicted unharmed.

He hummed that stupid song of Kakashi's and ached with sadness.

He was so alone.

He felt abandoned.

Where was Naruto?

Where was Kakashi?

Why wouldn't they let him out of this place?

Where was his friend, the usual nurse?

He wondered sadly if something bad had happened to her. He hadn't seen her in a couple of days.

The drugs were keeping his mind so fogged. He couldn't keep track of the time or his thoughts. Days had come and gone in a blur. People's faces here and gone in a blink of an eye. Voices hollow echoes fading away in his brain. He couldn't hang on to anything; everything was slipping like sand through his fingers.

His eyes closed and he fell asleep in his chair facing the sunrise.

* * *

The incident between the two monsters had put into effect a new regime of rules and regulations. Iruka was alone without visitation.

Kakashi tried to argue that such an extreme would only make things worse in the long run. Iruka shouldn't be punished for the evil that lay within him.

"This is not a punishment Kakashi." Growled Tsunade. "This is about precautions. This is about safety. He's too dangerous. The Binding Jutsus are not as effective as they should be on him. The monster inside Iruka is getting too strong. We almost lost another nurse, for Kami's sake!" She growled. "I know its not his fault Kakashi. I'm not punishing him, dammit, don't look at me like that."

Kakashi's expression was a lazy blank one but it didn't fool the Hokage. She knew what he was feeling. He resented not seeing Iruka.

"That would have made three nurses in three months, Kakashi. No, he's too dangerous."

It hurt Kakashi to say this or to even admit it. He wanted to be the one to save Iruka. He wanted to be the one Iruka loved. He took a deep and calming breath letting it out a slow steady stream.

"The Nine-tail seems to have an effect on the monster. Naruto should be with Iruka or at least be allowed to visit. Perhaps he will be the lock that will keep the monster under control?"

Tsunade frowned. "Kakashi." She sighed. Then after a moment of thought she caved. "You might have a point." She said, finally giving in.

Kakashi hated to think of his little dolphin all alone in his golden cage without a loved one even allowed to visit him. He knew how to pick his battles and he was happy to see that he had won this one.

* * *

Iruka felt alone and so lonely yet Naruto now seemed to be his full time nurse. How that happened was mind boggling and in this one case he was glad he was drugged out of his mind. Not that the boy was a bad nurse. Naruto was truly an empathetic and sympathetic youth with a lot of impetuous energy, unharnessed energy.

The dynamics between them had now changed. Iruka was confused and a little uncomfortable with that change.

Why was Naruto taking care of him as if he were an elder in need of his son's nursing? Iruka didn't feel old. Of course he didn't feel strong either but still, the boy was a genin, and barely fifteen years old. He shouldn't be having this kind of responsibility. He had friends now and things else he should be doing other than looking after his ailing foster father.

Even with Naruto there, Iruka felt so terribly lonely. No one else was allowed to come visit him.

He missed Kakashi. He missed him a lot more than he ever realized he ever would.

I've really gone and done it haven't I? He mused achingly sadly. I've gone and fallen in love with him. How stupid. How very stupid of me.

Iruka felt a hair brush smoothing out his tangled locks. Naruto's face was set into a cast of determination and gentleness.

Iruka felt tears sting his eyes.

How could things have gone so far wrong?

_It's the nine-tail._ She whispered. _He took our family from us. He took our Mizuki from us. He took our life. Its fair that he should sustain our life, since he took it all away._

He smiled in the mirror at his twisted reflection. Remembering what his life was like with his family. What it was like when he was young, when Mizuki was young, when Iruka had lots of friends and knew complete happiness.

**

* * *

Flash back**

_Iruka smiled into the mirror as his two fathers were taking turns brushing his hair. His human father had hair pins in his mouth while monster scowled._

"_How long is she supposed to be gone for again?"_

"_She's visiting family." Shrugged Umino-san. "I don't know how long she's going to be gone for." He grunted sucking the hair pins and balancing them carefully on tongue and between his teethe while trying to talk._

_Monster-senior glared. "I worry, she shouldn't go on such trips alone."_

"_She's a shinobi, and a damned fine chunin, I have confidence in her abilities."_

"_She is no jounin, nor an Anbu like us." Growled Monster. "If she dies I will blame you."_

"_You can try." Grunted Umino-san, as he twisted and brushed another lock of thick long hair. Iruka smiled up at his father, beaming like crazy. "You know our wife, head strong. We couldn't hope to persuade her otherwise. If she dies its her fault not ours."_

_Iruka didn't mind that his father though trying to be gentle was very rough on his hair and hurt his scalp. It was just really wonderful to be with his two dads. He rarely got to spend any time at all with either one of them. He missed them._

"_He's so easy to please, so much like his mama." Grinned Umino-san, changing the subject abruptly returning his total focus on his only living son and the mess of tangled hair he was struggling to force into a semblance of order and loveliness._

_Monster reached down and stroked Iruka's cheek lovingly. "Like her in so many ways."_

_Monster's touch was delicate and took a small amount of heat and chakra into himself and again imprinting their son on his skin and in his cold heart._

"_But he's our son and within him is my other son. When will he be let out?" asked Monster a little pouting in his tone._

"_You know the answer to that one Monster. When his training starts." Replied Umino-san._

"_You should have already started training him. How will he control his brother?"_

_Umino-san smirked. "You can start first and I will finish his training."_

"_How was I born in such a lazy human host?"_

"_I am not a host in the sense of a traditional demon vessel." Lectured Umino-san. "Every Umino is born with an __other__ inside of them, a split of self, is how I describe it. I know by Iruka's age we were always conversing in dreams and having battles of wits. But you know our wife. She wants Iruka to do something else. His heart is not strong enough in the ways that a shinobi must become to accept orders to kill. She doesn't want him to be a ninja."_

_Monster frowned at that. "She can be so foolish. Why do I love her? She would cripple her son. She does not understand us Umino."_

"_No, I'm afraid she does not." sighed Umino-san._

"_Iruka," asked Monster. "Does your other speak to you at all?"_

_Iruka scrunched up his cute little nose as he thought hard on the question and looked into his inner depths as he had been trained to do since toddler hood. There was in deed another presence there inside him. But the presence was always quiet, always seeming peaceful._

_Finally after a moment or two Iruka replied "She doesn't talk often. She's curious about the things I see sometimes. But she likes the flowers and the sun and the fields like I do. She's peaceful."_

"_Your brother is a sister?" asked the monster intrigued, in several generations in hundreds of years there had not been a female other in a long time, not even in a female Umino._

"_I think so." Said Iruka a little uncertain._

"_That is alright, that's good. But you have to be more careful to find the perfect complimentary partner in the future. The females are less likely to go insane unless the wrong partner is involved. Unlike Males who have a need to mate, who cannot withstand loneliness, Females are stronger than the males in the ways of emotional stability. They are not needy in the usual ways of the males. This is hereditary memory speaking so I do not know how reliable it is." Instructed Monster-senior. "In the ways of the heart, in love, things can turn a deadly way if not handled right. Females are more peaceful then males and are not driven to blood lust unless severely damaged or traumatized by the ones they love. She will be a great asset to you Iruka, you must start engaging her in conversations and encourage her to grow into the light."_

_His two fathers were not good with brushing hair and putting hair in cute little clips. He looked worse with his hair fixed up by his dads than if he'd just woken up with bed head and went through the day without a single brushing. Iruka laughed at the hair disaster and hugged his dads. _

"_Let's just tie it up in a pony tail daddy." He suggested good natured._

_Umino-San smiled at his son. "I think we can do that, what do you think Monster?"_

_Monster sighed and rolled his eyes at both Uminos. "It shouldn't be too difficult."_

_Iruka's mother had specific ideas on how her son should look even if that look ran more towards the feminine then was comfortable for either father to embrace readily. _

_They suspected their wife had wanted a daughter and was trying to force their son into gender confusion yet neither man nor monster could nay-say their wife. And Iruka didn't seem to mind wearing the girly kimonos or having long hair or looking like a girl as long as it made his Okasan happy he could care less. Besides he was fully capable of beating up people who made fun of him or pranking them until they learned their lessons. _

_Iruka's personality was that of a kind hearted, dutiful, malleable son with occasional outburst of explosive temper, and had secret ways of the mischievous trouble maker. _

_Life was good with his two dads and with his mom. He was loved, he never doubted it. He lived his life in complete certainty and serenity. Monster lectured and taught him about his sister on the inside. Monster cautioned him often._

_He had lots of friends and made friends easily. He was popular but not overpoweringly so. People just seem to gravitate towards Iruka. They liked to fuss over him and take care of him. Iruka was very loving and many people transformed under his care. Monster explained it as the female's influence. The female's host usually lived a charmed life unless a trauma is incurred. Then life could turn rather nightmarish._

**End flashback

* * *

**

It was strange to flash on these memories when he had forgotten them for so long of his life. He had not heeded his monster-father. He had not been as careful as he should have been.

Naruto continued to do battle with Iruka's hair unaware of the turn of his beloved teacher's thoughts.

_The nine-tail took it all away from us._ She whispered.

Fire and Ice flared and again Ice subsided. Naurto's eyes red fire and whisker scars a little wider on his cheeks, long hard nails dug into Iruka's thick dark brown hair. Iruka felt tears run even as they turned to tiny drops of ice which turned to crystal and fell in a tiny pile on the carpet floor.

Iruka felt guilty.

_This is my fault. I should have known better. I should have taken better care of you._

"Iruka don't be sad." Begged Naruto. "I'll get you some ramen from Ichiraku's."

Iruka tried to smile. "Thank you Naru-chan, I think I'd like that."

But as he smiled the tears only seemed to get worse. Time was running short. Iruka knew he wasn't strong enough to fight her. She was hurt. She was angry. She wanted blood.

She wasn't loved. Her mate was not their mate any more. She had no one to love and be loved by. Iruka had never learned how to love her and accept her.

He had never learned what his Fathers had wanted him to learn, what he had needed to learn but was never given the opportunity to learn it because before his fathers could pass along their knowledge to him they had been killed by the fire-fox. Iruka was fighting a losing battle because he had no knowledge on how to fight her power.

He began to despair.

* * *

The next few days were restless ones for Iruka still caged inside a reinforced sealed hospital room. Naruto was both a joy and a bane. Monster was never happy. She constantly whispered for blood. The nine-tail controlled her better than Iruka could and she was very resentful of that. She hated how the Nine-tail could still over power her.

"If you would only kill someone, we could be stronger. Iruka-chan, don't you want to be stronger?"

"Yes but not if it means killing." Insisted Iruka.

Monster was never happy with his answer. She tormented him night and day. His sanity was fraying ever more with every passing day.

"Tick Tock, do you hear that Iruka-chan? That sound like the lapping waves of the ocean upon the sandy shore? That's the hour glass Iruka. The hour glass with its sand running out for you and I."

His fathers came to him in a long line of ancestors in a dream to give him his answer.

Hereditary memory, it seemed the monsters weren't the only ones in the relationship to call upon the knowledge by need.

Iruka was comforted and loved. His fathers and ancestors each one of them seemed to hug him. He felt incredibly warmed. He felt hope bloom in his chest.

He smiled.

"I know what I have to do now. It was a good life. A really good life I had." He murmured dreamily. "But I know this has to happen. I don't want to die I don't want to be a monster but I know what I have to do now."

He wrote a letter and hid it in his room.

_**My life was blessed with so many people in it and it was a good life and I'm happy that I got to know these wonderful people. I am happy, no proud, that I was allowed to help the children of this village, that within them all I will always live on. I'm good now I accept it. I know what I have to do. Don't be sad Naruto. I want your life to be as blessed as mine was. I hope you too will find happiness some day. And Kakashi-sama too.**_

He smiled as the plan unfolded in his mind. His fathers smiles were shining in his heart. They would be waiting for him. They and his mother would be waiting for him. He was at peace. Naruto should have suspected something. Tsunade should have known something was wrong too.

* * *

It took three weeks of concentrated effort.

Tsunade noticed the change in her patient as did Naruto. Iruka seemed more at peace of late. The drug therapy was slowly lessened as Iruka seemed to become more and more stable. She began again to let people come to visit him but with Anbu escorts. She wanted to protect her people in case the monster were to come forward again and kill. But Iruka seemed less troubled and less insane. He welcomed them with smiles. The drugs were slowly eased off and his usual personality seemed to be coming back.

She like everyone else were relieved to see such positive changes in their troubled chunin friend.

She knew that Iruka had a little less than two years left before his death was at hand, she could not bring herself to continue keeping him from his visitors. Not when there was so little time left.

If she had only known what was about to happen she never would have brought his medication down in potency. She would have cranked it up instead.

* * *

Kakashi smiled and hugged Iruka as they met for their first outing. It was a special treat for Iruka doing so well with his treatments and seeming to be getting better.

Iruka continued to smile as they made their outing. They chatted aboutmany things and Iruka would point out some bird or flower as they hiked deeper into the woods. It was a beautiful day and Iruka knew the time was at hand. He couldn't have picked a more beautiful day for this. The day resembled one of the days from his youth.

He looked at the flowers and the trees glistening in the warmth of the rays of the sun. Kakashi smiled at him and held his hand. Iruka returned his smile but timidly. Kakashi began to get a bad feeling.

Iruka sat on a fallen log that was slowly being absorbed into the soil of the wild land. The sun shined on him he still smiled as he ate a sandwich and chatted with Kakashi never talking about a future he could not commit to because he would not be alive to see it through.

He wanted to make his last day a good one and a pleasant memory for Kakashi.

He turned to his friend smiling more brightly then before. "Kakashi, will you kiss me?" he asked sweetly.

Kakashi felt the sandwich slip from his hand and the bite fall from his mouth in shock. So long he had prayed for such a moment as this one. But he never had believed it would ever come to pass.

He decided quickly not to double check his hearing for error.

Lightening fast he dove at the dolphin and planted a long drawn out kiss on his plump lips that left them both blushing and panting from the experience.

Iruka wasted no time in divesting Kakashi of his shirt and pants. Kakashi tried to protest but then slapped himself in the face.

"Are you sure you want me to stop?" asked Iruka a playful smile on his lips. Twinkling dark eyes locked with Kakashi's eye. It was almost as if Iruka could read his mind.

"No. I never want you to stop." Insisted Kakashi hoarsely.

They continued to share kiss after heated kiss. Iruka undressed them both, their hands tangled then clasped then let go of each other.

Iruka's hands were strong and warm as they stroked over his skin and caressed every inch making Kakashi's breath hitch. Iruka felt so good in his arms. (a more graphic scene along with several sex acts will come when I post it to my website, sometime in the future.)

**

* * *

**

Thoroughly warn out Kakshi lay asleep in the shade of the tree log fully dressed now after an afternoon spent in sexual frenzy and completion.

Kakashi had been almost insatiable. It had worried Iruka a little that Iruka may not have the opportunity to go through with his plan if Kakashi didn't pass out after the last time they had a round of loud sweet lovemaking.

Iruka cast his lover a last loving smile and turned to his task at hand. His body ached and he felt amazing. He felt as if he glowed. He loved Kakashi. He loved the way their lovemaking had made him feel but he knew he had to do this, it was the only way.

Sun down, it was such a beautiful thing to watch the sun slowly make its way through the end of its journey and sink into the horizon, colors growing darker and duskier tiny stars slowly awakened and twinkled a merry good evening but there was still enough light in the sky to make this end come at last to Iruka Umino the last of his family.

He had barely gotten the barrier up in time. Shadow & Blade Shield Dance technique. Monster came to the surface flooding his body and the area he had cut off from the rest. Two swords in each hand, a dozen or so Iruka clones flanked the two separate beings in a circle of defense. Iruka can become the unstoppable shield while Monster can become the unstoppable killing machine. If this technique were being used in battle but right now it was being used to end their life.

Iruka is more earthy when WaterSylph is not a part of him, his jutsus are also more land based. Iruka is darker and more plain looking, as well as thicker in shoulders and chest. WaterSylph is monstrously pale and long limbed, willowy, modest bosom and curves, long haired, thin and beautiful except for the pointy teeth and demonic eyes, pointed ears and luminous scales for her skin. Her jutsu is air and water.

His chakra flared powerfully as monster was unleashed. Iruka gazed long into the short distance from whence came his fellow shinobi unerringly drawn to the sudden flare of dangerous chakra. There were so many of them coming towards him and monster. He had not counted on that. He should have though.

The barrier was keeping them out but keeping Iruka and Monster in

Kakshi awakened disoriented yet feeling amazing. His dolphin his beautiful chunin the love of his life had finally made passionate love to him and then he had made passionate love right back to Iruka. His feelings of glowing love was suddenly cut off in a moment of terror as he felt the chakra flare.

Kakashi knew this was the end.

Iruka was going to die.

He ran towards where the chakra was coming from, not far from their place of romantic dalliance.

Kakashi screamed and battered against the barrier as Tsunade and the rest flooded the area where his Iruka now split into two separate beings and a dozen clones and a spirit barrier stood keeping them from Iruka and monst, the clones doing battle with the oncoming shinobi. While on the inside Monster and Iruka seemed to be in the middle of some kind dance of death.

How could Iruka have such an outpouring range of chakra? Where was it all coming from? Iruka didn't have this level of chakra, not normally.

This place wreaked of impending doom and death.

"Don't Iruka! Please." Cried Kakashi.

Iruka looked at Kakashi in pain. "I'm sorry Kakashi. I love you. But I have to do this. Please don't stop me."

Iruka was both less and more.

His face was more plane and more freckled, his body was lithe but shorter, his hair was long with weaves of brown and black, his hair was probably the only thing at all striking about his person. He was plane, his features forgettable. He could be lost in the back ground and never be noticed. His aura was serene and less powerful. His chakra was minimal. And yet he was still able to focus his chakra and create this barrier and to keep them all out of it. But the barrier was not entirely chakra it was spiritual energy and demonic energy and being fed by the clones.

Kakashi still loved Iruka. Iruka was still beautiful in his eyes. He could not bare to lose the one person who completed him.

Iruka's attention returned fully to his insane monster defelcting a swipe of her lethal claws. "I won't be a monster."

"You can't stop me." She hissed.

Sword and fang clashed and impacted one another. But it seemed no matter how hard they fought against one another neither one of them seemed to take lethal damage.

Kakashi watched afraid. What was going on in there? Why is she playing with him?

Naruto and Sasuke joined the fray. Naruto took one look at the his mentor and the monster their tormentor and frowned.

"He's being foolish." Said Kyuubi

Kakashi blinked at the red chakra building around the boy and looked into ruby red eyes.

"How so?"

Kyuubi snorted. "Iruka wants to kill himself and by killing WaterSylph that is what he is essentially doing. One cannot live without the other. It will be a long drawn out affair and it will cause more pain and damage than even young Iruka realizes. I knew I should fried that WaterSylph inot next week, oh but noooo, the kit is far too attached to Iruka to let me." He whined and growled discontented.

The clones focused on the shinobi trying to get in. They were careful not to kill just to defend their maker and keep the others out.

Naruto's red chakra tried to interfere. The fox demon ablaze in his aura with fire dancing all around him glared battle at WaterSylph and Iruka.

"Let's get it on!" roared Kyuubi. He hadn't had this much fun in forever. Kakashi and Sasuke each with Chidori battered at the shield trying to make a hole in the defensive barrier so they could reach Iruka and make him stop this drawn out and painful suicide attempt.

* * *

Clones met clones, they clashed and killed one another while Kyuubi laughed.

Kakashi locked eyes with Iruka. "Iruka don't do this." He pleaded, kunai coming to hand. He was determined to break this barrier with all that he had in him. He wanted to save Iruka. He needed to save Iruka.

"My father and his monster came to me in a dream and they taught me what to do. They told me what I needed to do. I have to do this." Screamed Iruka, anguished. He wanted them to understand as he had what he needed to do.

Kakashi battled the barrier but no matter how much chakra no matter how many times he tried to bring chidori into play nothing seemed to be getting through or finding a crack in the spirit energy surrounding Iruka and Monster.

Fighting cloned Iruka was heart rending for the jounin and for many of their friends. Killing clones that looked like your best friend or dearest person or just someone you like was disturbing and a terrible sensation.

No one wanted to hurt Iruka as they were now doing to his clones.

Kakashi hated that he had to see these clones and see Iruka's face as he killed them. His heart was breaking with every broken clone that popped out of existence.

"This is my fault Kakashi. I have to make it right. I can't let her live like this. I can't live like this. It's the only way. You see, we have to be loved and love in return." Explained Iruka. "I made a mistake with Mizuki. I should have been more careful. I knew better and still I was so foolish. I thought we loved and were loved in return but we weren't."

Kakashi tried to reach Iruka. "Please, god-dammit, Iruka. I need you. I love you."

"Mizuki loved us." The monster argued stubbornly. "He knew what we needed. What we desired." Monster glared venom at Kakashi. She mocked him.

"No," argued Iruka. "He loved us once, but in the end he loved you more, the love has to be equal, and it wasn't. In the end he loved the power you would bring him even more than he loved you." said Iruka.

"Kakashi, do you understand? My mother was one of those rare beings. She wasn't beautiful, not next to my father. She was simple and plane and sweet. She wasn't much of a chunin. Her power was laughable, not next to anyone really. But her heart was amazing. She loved my father and she loved his monster, equally and powerfully. She loved them both so much and they in return loved her just as much."

He wanted the monster to understand where some of their pain had come from, where it first began. The needed to either heal or die. It was going to take more than just Kakashi's love to heal them. Kakashi's love would seal them and make them one.

"Sometimes it felt as if I were an intruder in their relationship. I know they didn't mean to make me feel that way. They loved each other so intensely. The monster could hurt her and mame her and she would still love it. It could kill millions come to her blood soaked and she would still love and forgive him, my father and monster.

"The monster adored my mother as my father adored her. The monster only hurt her once. He could be cruel and without mercy. He wasn't evensupposed to know what love was but he loved my mother. When he hurt her he tried to kill himself.

"The monster is selfish and doesn't love anyone. Its not supposed to love anyone but it loved my mother and it was conflicted by such emotions. He would sit at her feet. It treated her like a queen. He was devoted to her. Over time it changed and accepted that it could love.

"It loved my mother and my father and by extension he loved me as well. I had two fathers, and they had two kids. I was happy. I was loved. We were loved, my monster and me. Then the Kyuubi came and he took her first, they couldn't live without her and they gave up and let the beast take even themselves away from me, from us!" He explained.

"She was damaged."

"I was damaged."

"It was my fault. I didn't take care of her as I was supposed to. I think love could heal her. Love could heal us, Kakashi. But we have to love in return. "

* * *

**Flashback**

A child ran in the sun by another child, Mizuki trailing behind them.

"Last one to the lake's gonna have to baby-sit one of the Inuzuka dogs and an Akimichi toddler!" screamed young Iruka laughing merrily.

Iruka loved Mizuki. Monster looked at Mizuki and felt warm. It was the first time she had not felt the chill of her cold heart. Mizuki did not seem to notice monster but his eyes were on Iruka, his arms were around Iruka forcing him to the soft springy grassy earth. Mizuki smiled lovingly. His arms around Iruka made both Iruka and Monster blush.

"I love you Ruka-chan." He declared with the impetuousness of youth.

"I love you to Mizuki-chan." Smiled Iruka

"I'm going to marry you some day Ruka-chan, when we're both adults and great ninja."

"Really? Why?"

"Because I love you."

"But, I'm a boy, and what about Monster?" asked Iruka worriedly, casting al ook to his female companion. "She needs to be loved to."

"As long as she's apart of you Iruka I will love her to." Replied Mizuki, but he never looked at Monster he just continued to gaze into Iruka's eyes and his eyes only. Mizuki always ignored Monster.

"It has to be forever Zuki-chan, forever and ever." insisted Iruka, surprisingly somber and very serious.

Mizuki had sealed their fate. Monster fell in love.

**End flash back ****

* * *

**

"I made a terrible mistake but I loved Mizuki, my monster loved Mizuki. A monster if it's extraordinary it can love but it can love only once. Do you understand? It loves Mizuki. It can't love you. It can't change any more than it already has."

"Do you understand Kakashi? We're divided. Divided we fall. There will be no control. It will just be the monster soon."

Kakashi was in pain. His mask was gone. "look at me Iruka." He begged. "Please I do love you. I want you in my life. I want us to be together forever." He pleaded. "Don't do this Iruka. Please."

"I don't think you can love both of us Kakashi. Can you love us? Can you make my monster love you? I don't think it will let you love it because it is incapable of loving you. She was damaged. She and I are so damaged. How can anyone love us?"

"I do." Insisted Kakashi. "I love you." He growled and beat at the barrier fists and kicks. He would make Iruka believe him he would not quit until he had Iruka in his arms again.

"You think you can love us Kakashi but I think you're mistaken."

"You're the one giving up on us." Roared Kakashi angrily as he killed another clone in frustration and growing despair.

Iruka looked sad. "You're right Kakashi. I am. But I don't have much hope left. I have to do this Kakashi. I have to end this before she takes me over completely and I kill every one of you, who I love. But understand Kakashi, its not she that loves, its me that loves, and only me."

"Without it, without love, we can't transform, she can't become what she was really meant to be. We can't become more than what we are without love. We cannot be bound and we need to be. We need to love and be loved in return."

"I can. I do." Screamed Kakashi. "I'm devoted and am in love with you. Give me time and I can even love the monster inside of you. Because Iruka there is a monster in me as well. There is a monster in all of us. We can overcome. We can be happy Iruka. If you just let me in completely I can love you both!"

More clones died and were replaced with still more sword wielding clones.

"I will not live in two years and I will have only brought you more heart break than anyone ever deserves to have. You cannot tame us if the both of us cannot love you and be loved by you and we will be only a monster. There will not be an "us" just an "it" and I cannot be a monster, Kakashi. I will not be a monster." he said with deep determination and ignition of his will. the chakra grew and fanned out.

"Don't do this Iruka!" growled the monster. "You fool! If you destroy me you will not live long after."

"All of your strengths, all that you relied upon, all of it was never yours but mine. Without me you're going to die. Your IQ has even dropped. Your ability to hold chakra and use it to fight is at its frayed ends. Your immune system will shut down and in less than a month you'll be dead."

"Maybe so, but at least I will not be a monster! I only have two years anyway. Let's do it. Bring it on, monster. Lets do this thing. today, today, it was a beautiful day, the best day of my life and I hear freedom and its melody is calling me." Iruka began the last part of the seal, it was a long drawn out bunch of gestures and words in a language none had ever heard before. The clones were suddenly stilled then they leaped back into formation and again took up position surrounding the barrier.

Iruka glowed with green energy. His eyes were pure obsidian. Crucifix came out of the ground, cross shapes burned into Iruka's cheeks and into his hands, blood seeped from those wounds. Shurikan glowed, little stars twirling zipping through the air and surrounding monster then they like the crosses that pierced Iruka then pierced Monster and made her bleed.

"You're too weak!" screamed the monster, desperate. "You can't seal me away. You can't destroy me!"

"I will destroy you. I will make sure that we both go home to those who are waiting for us. Our fathers and mothers are waiting and it's long past time I put you to rest." Insisted Iruka, determined and set in his will.

The barrier began to fade. Iruka's strength was beginning to wane. Kakashi saw his chance and took it. He transported into the bubble and put his arms around Iruka.

"I love you, Iruka. I will give you my strength and all that I am. Whatever you need, let me give it all to you Iruka, let me be with you. If you die then let me die with you, Iruka." Kakashi pleaded.

The barrier stabilized again becoming impregnable once more.

The monster could feel the power surrounding them and growing. She could feel the pain of both shinobi. She could see the 9-tail fox glaring at him only for its eyes to beg. Beg him to what wondered the wraith feeling strange.

Iruka's heart was a lot like his mother's. Iruka's heart had bonded monster to monster, Iruka to Naruto.

She throbbed with pain. She hurt so much all she wanted was it to end alls he wanted was to give in to her own nature and drain the world of all of its power and blood. She wanted to live. She wanted to make them all pay for having hurt her.

And yet, Iruka's heart was also her heart.

* * *

**Another flashback**

They were in pain and hurting. Monster ached for a child. Iruka wanted to make Mizuki happy. They wanted a family.

A toddler ran headlong into them nearly knocking them to the ground. Iruka was not very old and had not been married to Mizuki for very long. The ninetail was about four years old. Iruka was barely eighteen. His heart connected instantly as dark eyes met blue.

**End flashback**

* * *

Monster could not now deny the feelings it had it was partly why it had tormented Iruka so, using Naruto for terrorist reasons. It loved the fox child. It loved event he fox, that terrible fox who had taken away all their loved ones and destroyed their lives over and over again.

This child was his as well as Iruka's. This child had loved them both equally and whole heartedly. She had resented him. She had resented that their child could love them but not their mate. Their mate had not kept to his part of the bargain.

Monster wanted to inflict pain, it needed to inflict pain and turn her world back around. She needed to shut down her heart and embrace the ice again. Kakashi was making it hard to be resolved. Kakashi was offering them love. She could feel it. She could feel his chakra seeping into Iruka and empowering him.

NO! I'm not going to give up. This isn't it. He can't love us. He can't. Mizuki didn't. My love. My love who rejected me over and over and inflicted so much pain on us. I can't seem to let him go. I don't want to die. Iruka must bend to my will. I'll finally make the pain go away.

Her attentions focused onNaruto she smiled cruelly and chill. "You would have sustained us and given us power Naruto. Iruka you hated me always you hated me because I am Monster's child. It was the monster that kept your father at her side and would not leave even when the fires were burning them alive. Monster took your father, our fathers away from us. You can't forgive me nor can you forgive father for what he did to us."

"If you loved me we would merge and I would be." it couldn't say it. It hated admitting this. She could be controlled. She could be loved and love in return if Iruka could only love himself, could love the monster that lived inside of him as he loved the demon fox and the child it lived inside of. Iruka had punished her all of these years, ignoring her, pretending she didn't exist, forgetting all about her.

"You forgave the fox but you did not forgive our fathers for leaving you."

Iruka trembled his power wavered again. Was what his monster saying true? Was this about self-hate?

"It doesn't matter. Kakashi can't love both of us and you don't love Kakashi."

"But he could in time" said Kakashi his arms tightening around Iruka.

"I could in time." conceded the monster. "Come to love this sharingan wielding shinobi."

"I don't believe you. You would say anything to keep me from killing you. If I don't do this now, there will never be a next time. I cannot take the chance that you are lying trying to fool me so you can have more time to grow and overpower me."

"I am not lying!" roared the monster. "I cannot lie. Truth is always cruel and for that reason it is apart of my nature. I cannot lie. I am not lying, Iruka." It shed its own precious blood and made the jutsu for absolute truth and cast it on itself.

"You want to live. You'd say anything to live." hissed Iruka, but he was wavering. His face was very readable. The monster knew, as did the village, Iruka's choice. It was painful but Kakashi was holding him tightly giving him all of his support and all of his strength.

"We both want to live." said the monster.

Iruka looked from his monster to the faces of his friends and the people he considered family. If he only had more time. Two years wasn't enough time.

"If we stabilize, Iruka, if he can truly love us, if my heart can find love again in your Kakashi, we could have decades more to live, hundreds of years to live if we chose to live. More time for family. More time to enjoy another holiday, another Christmas, another thanksgiving, another chance to see our children smile and play. More time to enjoy every beautiful new morning and every new night with our lover. If you but reach for it Iruka. If you but only loved me." Wept Monster. "I want to be loved. I want to love these people who we call family. Please Iruka, don't kill us, instead reach out and take our life and make it bloom like those flowers we once loved so much when we were young. Do you remember Iruka, do you remember those flowers we loved. They were so bright and so beautiful. Make our life like that Iruka. Make my heart open wide and take me in your arms and love me as you were supposed to do."

Iruka was conflicted. How did he trust such a dangerous being? And yet he remembered his childhood. He remembered Monster-senior. He remembered his father and his mother and the love that the three of them shared with him. He felt tears burn his eyes.

"I'm not brave enough. All of these years and I have never been strong enough. I hurt her so much." He whimpered. "I'm not strong enough. I don't know if I can make it right. I thought if we died. I thought…. I believed there was no other choice. How can I believe her?"

Kakashi growled into his ear." You are brave Iruka. You are strong enough. I love you. Monster is your strength I understand. I get it Iruka. Killing her will only kill yourself. She's part of you Iruka. She's your strength, which I love as I love the smile you always wear and the warmth of your heart. That heart that I love most of all. Please Iruka I want you both to live. I love Iruka. You are part of Iruka. I can love you as I have grown to love, Iruka and all that loving Iruka brings with it even Iruka's son, Naruto." Insisted Kakashi.

"Then take the oath." said Iruka and Monster as one being. The crucifixes and stars faded out of existence the barrier began to wobble. Iruka was still not certain if this was such a good idea. He didn't know if he could find it within him to trust her again. She had tormented him and frightened him these last few years. She had hurt Naruto and killed others. She was a monster.

Iruka felt his body react against his will, he slipped out from Kakashi's hold and took a few steps towards the monster, towards the other part that was his him. Their bodies were merging again.

"How do I...?" asked Kakashi

Both monster and Iruka smiled, one's smile was cruel yet somehow with a hint of kindness while Iruka's was loving and everything that Kakashi loved about Iruka.

Iruka and Monster sliced open their hands Kakashi understood and did the same. Blood spilled between them. Hands clasped hands, wraith hands paralleled dark chunin hands and then slowly went through those hands, dark chunin and gloved jounin hands clasped and the wraith hands went through Iruka's like a ghost sliding through flesh and bone, transparent and harmless, sinking through chunin to get to jounin, to touch Kakashi's hand to mingle all three's blood. The wraith, watersylph, then raised its hand from theirs and devoured the blood and sealed their wounds.

"I devote myself to you." said the three of them. "I honor you as I honor myself. I will not kill unless it is in defense of you or in defense of my village. I will love you and this village all of the days of my life and beyond."

They were now bound to each other forever.

* * *

Tsunade and Anbu took Iruka into custody escorting him back to the hospital where he stayed under guard for a while longer pending hearings and evaluations.

The affect of the bonding was almost immediate. Iruka stabilized.

Tsunade noticed. "It goes against my better judgment Iruka but I can't argu the results of your tests or the weeks of observation. You're stronger. Your chakra levels have evened out. Your mood swings have stabilized in to a better pattern. You seem very happy and balanced. I can't find a reason to keep you here. So I am going to release you into Kakashi's custody but you will still have to undergo weekly visits and for a while longer light load at the Missions Desk and Academy. Its good to have you back Chunin, er Jounin, Iruka."

Iruka laughed. "No Tsunade, I'm not jounin."

"I just called you Jounins didn't I?" growled Tsunade. "Now take your new rank Iruka-Sensei Jounin, and go home. Kakashi's been a pain without you."

Kakashi beemed at him draping himself over Iruka like a human shaped blanket. His hands were everywhere in second until they firmly attached themselves around his waist and cupped his butte. Iruka blushed and slapped his hands away from his round curvy butte.

"Iruka" pouted Kakashi. "I missed you. My hands especially miss…"

A hand found its way to Kakashi's mouth and slapped over those lips locking them and keeping the rest of that sentence unspoken. Very quickly Iruka searched the streets seeing several reputed perverts, and good friends of theirs, listening in.

Kakashi kissed his sweet liitle Dolphin's hand. It was bliss having Iruka back in his arms again.

"Watch it Kakashi. None of that in public. I just got out of the loony bin. DO you want to damage my reputation further with pinning the name scandalous and pervert on me?"

"But Ru-ru-chan, I love you." He whined. Hands once more finding several places to grope.

Iruka scowled or at least tried to but instead a sappy love sick smile came over his face. "You're never going to change are you?"

"Never." Insisted Kakashi, planting a kiss on Iruka's lips then formed the signs for transportation jutsu and whisked his lover away in apuff of smoke to their new home where he could make love to Iruka again and again. Iruka was going to live a long life a life in love with Kakashi.

The End

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* * *

**

**A/N: I'm still not entirely happy with how this chapter turned out. But I think it will do, for now. :D**

**Epilogue in progress. SasuNaru to come. :D**

**I hope I did justice to the story and to my readers' expectations. The previous chapters will be undergoing a re-edit and a re-post in time, to my website. I want to add in some more descriptions and more adult stuff which I can't add to this story posted here. :D**

**Thank you all so much for your support and reviews. If you have any suggestions or feedback feel free to e-mail or leave a post.  
sincerely,  
Jazzy**

**Now to get back to: Stuck In Darkness ch.2; Not Strong Enough ch.3; and my InuYasha fics and other Fics. So many fics:D**

**Love and Hugs! Bye!**


	11. Chapter 11

* * *

EPILOGUE

* * *

Two Years down the road of life together.

"SASUKE!" roared Naruto as loud as ever. "Come on! Okasan and Tosan are waiting for us!"

Sasuke scowled at his friend and love interest. It had been over two years since that damned mission and still Naruto liked to call their poor teachers by those names and worse of all Kakashi enjoyed the teasing and referred to them as his and Iruka's kids in return as well.

"Dobe." he grunted. As Naruto grabbed on to his wrist and hauled his ass at ninja speed to the restaurant where their "family" was waiting for them.

Jounin Senseis Kakashi and Iruka were at their usual place to dine, Ichiraku's waiting for the kids to assemble there and at their usual family table.

Iruka smiled and laughed as he heard the sounds of the two boys being as ruckus and loud as ever.

"How did the latest missions go, my little chunins?" asked Kakashi. "Tell Papa all about it." He teased.

Sasuke glared at him. "How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not your son, you wretch!" He complained blushing while Kakashi messed with his hair. "Can't tell you how it went. Its a secret."

Kakashi smiled his usual amused cresecent eye the only thing visible with his mask in place.

Naruto had grown taller in the last few months and he at least no longer was able to embarrassingly leap in to Iruka's lap like a small child any more. But that didn't keep him from sitting as close as he could in the booth and draping his arms around Iruka's neck.

"How are you Naru-chan?" asked Iruka lovingly.

"Oh, you know, pretty good considering Sasuke's a prude."

Sasuke glared his usual Uchiha death glare which every one at the table had an immunity to. Really why did he bother any more? The death glare was impotent on them. Well that and the fact that he really didn't want them to die which kind of helped with the lack of its usual effectiveness and intensity.

Iruka chuckled and flushed red. "Private life exempt please. But its good between you? The new apartment and living together I mean?"

Naruto beamed. "Its wonderful, Iruka-nii. We have fights every now and again sure but then again who doesn't?"

"We fought over the color scheme." Muttered Sasuke.

"Don't remind me." Growled Naruto. "I still can't believe you wouldn't let me paint the bedroom orange. Orange is soothing!" he practically screamed at the top of his lungs.

Iruka cringed and tried to protect his ears. Monster suddenly flashed forward and separated from her host to join them in the booth, forcing Naruto arms distance. "Shut up brat, before I rip out your tongue." She hissed.

Sasuke's eyes whirled red sharingan. "Don't threaten my boyfriend."

"Ooooh, Sasuke." Naruto moaned happily, he felt his chest swell. He could never get tired of Sasuke calling him that.

"Oh get a room." Snorted Monster, "love sick morons."

"Now now, temper temper, my lovely Monster." Said Kakashi lazy and loving. "No need to take it out on the kids."

Monster's face gentled somehow her demeanor changed. This was her family. Every day it still surprised her how much she loved them and was loved in return. They accepted her and trusted her.

As expected Sakura, her "father in-law", and her fiancé Lee Rock entered Ichiraku's arm in arm. Lee managed to get a new look. His hair was shaped into normalcy. Sakura had redesigned his hair and amazingly she and Lee managed to get Gai to allow them to give him a new "youthful" look as well. Gai still wore green as did Lee but at least his hair wasn't bowl shaped any more. They supposed they should be happy with one little miracle at a time but they wished the second miracle would come laong faster. It would be nice not to see a green skin tight jump suit on either man ever again.

The little group of three came beaming into the restaurant happy as can be. Behind them was the rest of their extended family all of them chunin or jounin now days.

"KAKASHI MY ESTEEMD RIVAL AND HIS BEAUTIOUS LIFE PARTNER IRUKA SENSEI HOW ARE YOU THIS FINE AND LOVELY DAY?" He asked, full affect of good guy stance number 23 thumbs way up, teeth blindingly white and shiny.

Kakashi grinned right back. Nothing could rain on his family day. He gave Gai a lazy wave of his hand in greeting then turned his attentions back to his family.

Naruto and Iruka slurped at their noodles, eating away at warp speed. Sasuke looked vaguely ill and Monster nibbled daintily on her fish stew.

Iruka was alive and today was his thirtieth birthday.

Life was good.

Naruto and Sasuke were alive and well and kicking enemy ninja butte on a regular basis. Kakashi suspected they would both be jounin before the end of the month and perhaps there would even be a public civil ceremony for Naruto and Sasuke before thenas well. It was obvious to anyone and everyone the two were lovers.

Sakura and Rock Lee were about to tie the knot in one week. She was already showing a glowing about her and a slight roundness to her that stated she was expecting. Naughty, naughty, soon he and Iruka were going to be granddads. Kakshi really couldn't be any happier about it.

Iruka was alive. Life was settled into a good pattern of existence for him and the rest of their extended family. Youngsters were matching up and creating new life. Spring was every where.

And Life was really really good.

* * *

**THE END** (at long last)

* * *

**A/N:** _The re-writes with more adult details will be featured on my website in the near future. Thank you all for reading and reviewing Falling Leaves. I very much appreciate it. It was hugely fun. Love, Jazzy_


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